DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to competitive action with a penalty goal as Al Nassr secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Al Wasl in a UAE Pro League match played at Zabeel Stadium on Saturday evening. The Portuguese superstar converted from the spot in the 11th minute to set the tone, before goals from Anderson Talisca, Ismael Bennacer, and a late strike from substitute Mohammed Marran sealed the win for the Riyadh-based side.
The result extends Al Nassr’s unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions and moves them temporarily to second place in the league table, three points behind leaders Al Ain with a game in hand. Al Wasl, meanwhile, fall to eighth after their second defeat in three league outings, raising questions about their consistency following a strong start to the season.
From the opening whistle, Al Nassr imposed their authority, pressing high and limiting Al Wasl’s ability to build from the back. Ronaldo’s penalty came after Talisca was brought down inside the box by Wasl defender Mohammed Abdulbasit, who was shown a yellow card for the challenge. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner stepped up calmly and sent goalkeeper Khalid Eisa the wrong way, marking his first goal since returning from a minor hamstring strain that kept him out of the previous two matches.
“It’s always good to score, especially when the team is playing well,” Ronaldo said in a post-match interview with the UAE Pro League’s official broadcast partners. “We knew this would be a tough game — Al Wasl are organized and dangerous on the counter — but we stayed patient and executed our plan. The penalty was a gift, but the team created plenty more chances.”
Al Nassr doubled their lead just 13 minutes later when Talisca collected the ball on the edge of the area, turned sharply, and fired a low drive past Eisa into the bottom corner. The Brazilian playmaker, who has now scored six goals in his last eight league appearances, celebrated by pointing to the sky in tribute to his late father.
The visitors continued to dominate possession and territory, with Marcelo Brozović pulling the strings in midfield and Sadio Mané causing constant problems down the left flank. Al Wasl struggled to create clear-cut chances, managing only one shot on target before halftime — a long-range effort from Caio Lucas that was comfortably saved by Al Nassr goalkeeper David Ospina.
Just before the break, Al Nassr made it 3-0 through Ismael Bennacer. The Algerian international intercepted a loose pass in midfield, advanced 30 yards, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from outside the box that flew into the top corner. It was Bennacer’s first goal since joining Al Nassr from AC Milan in the summer transfer window, and his performance earned him man of the match honors.
“Ismael has been a revelation for us,” said Al Nassr head coach Luís Castro in his post-match press conference. “He brings intelligence, work rate, and quality in both boxes. Today he showed why we believed in him — not just with the goal, but with his overall contribution. He’s exactly the type of player we necessitate to compete at the highest level.”
The second half saw Al Nassr ease off slightly, managing the game while still looking to add to their tally. Al Wasl pushed for a consolation goal but lacked the cutting edge to break down a well-drilled Al Nassr defense anchored by the experienced duo of Alex Telles and Sultan Al-Ghannam.
The final goal came in the 84th minute when substitute Mohammed Marran, who had only entered the game three minutes earlier, latched onto a through-ball from Brozović and finished calmly past Eisa at the near post. The young Saudi winger, making his first start of the season, celebrated with a finger-to-lips gesture — a message, perhaps, to those who doubted his readiness for top-flight football.
“I’m just happy to contribute,” Marran said afterward. “The coach trusted me, and I tried to repay that faith. Playing alongside players like Cristiano and Talisca makes you better every day.”
Statistically, Al Nassr controlled 62% of possession, completed 487 passes compared to Al Wasl’s 291, and registered 18 shots to the home side’s 6. Ospina made three saves to preserve a clean sheet, while Eisa was forced into five stops despite the scoreline suggesting a one-sided affair.
The victory marks Al Nassr’s largest margin of victory in the UAE Pro League this season and their first away win against Al Wasl since February 2022. It also extends Ronaldo’s scoring streak to three consecutive matches across all competitions, bringing his tally to 12 goals and 4 assists in 15 appearances since joining the club in January 2023.
For Al Wasl, the defeat halts what had been a promising surge in form. Prior to this match, they had gone unbeaten in four league games, including wins over Al Ain and Sharjah. Head coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena acknowledged the gulf in quality on the day but insisted his side would learn from the experience.
“We came up against a team with world-class players who punished our mistakes,” Arruabarrena said. “We need to be more compact defensively and quicker in transition. Credit to Al Nassr — they were better today — but we’ll bounce back. The season is long, and we still have goals to achieve.”
Looking ahead, Al Nassr prepare to host Al Wahda in their next league fixture on Wednesday, a match that could see them move into outright second place depending on other results. Al Wasl travel to face Kalba on Thursday in a bid to halt their slide and rediscover the form that saw them challenge for the top four earlier in the campaign.
As the floodlights dimmed at Zabeel Stadium and the Al Nassr players celebrated with their traveling supporters, one message was clear: when Cristiano Ronaldo is fit and firing, few teams in Asia can match the firepower of Al Nassr. Whether that translates to silverware remains to be seen — but for now, the champions of Saudi Arabia are making a statement on foreign soil.
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