Cristiano Ronaldo returned to club football on Friday after a controversial international break with Portugal, scoring the opening goal in Al-Nassr’s 3-0 win over Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League.The victory moved Al-Nassr level on points with league leaders Al-Qadsiah, with goal difference keeping them in second place after eight rounds.The 41-year-old striker found the net midway through the first half, taking advantage of a rebound after goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah blocked Kingsley Coman’s shot. Ronaldo scored from close range to register the 980th goal of his career.Watch:
Ronaldo returns after Portugal dispute
Ronaldo’s return came after a disagreement during the international break, when he left Portugal’s national team squad. He has scored 146 goals in 234 appearances for his country.In a statement posted on Tuesday, Ronaldo said newly appointed coach Jorge Jesus had not kept his word about when the striker would get the chance to play in the Nations League.Ronaldo had previously won the Saudi league title in May with Jesus as Al-Nassr’s coach. He has now returned to club action and helped his side secure an important victory.
Al-Nassr seal comfortable win
Al-Nassr, now coached by former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, doubled their lead just before half-time through Samu Costa. Coman then scored the third goal with 13 minutes left to complete a convincing win.Meanwhile, Al-Qadsiah maintained their position at the top of the table after beating Al-Kholood 5-0 earlier in the day. Dutch international Tijjani Reijnders opened the scoring, while Italy’s Mateo Retegui and Mexico’s Julian Quinones also found the net.With both teams level on points, the battle for the top spot remains tight as the Saudi Pro League season continues.
