"The season is long" - Cristiano Ronaldo makes honest admission about Al-Nassr's title chances after Al-Akhdoud win

Al-Nassr ace Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted that the Saudi Pro League title race has not been decided yet after he netted a brace during his side's 3-0 win over Al-Akhdoud. Ronaldo also admitted that the Knights of Najd did not feel the absence of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Simakan, who missed the game due to AFCON duty and a hamstring injury, respectively.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. continued their impressive form under Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo opened the scoring from close range in the 31st minute, before scoring his second in the game in the third minute of stoppage time just before half-time. Joao Felix also featured on the scoresheet (90+4'), ensuring Al-Nassr secured all three points.

Al-Nassr have won all 10 of their games this season in the Saudi Pro League and are at the top of the table with 30 points, four points above second-placed Al-Hilal. Despite their commanding start, Ronaldo said (via Kooora):

"The league is not decided yet, and we must focus on the upcoming matches. The competition is still long, but we are on the right track. Today we played a great match against Al-Akhdoud, who tried to prevent us from scoring, but we scored 3 goals, and no one wins the league halfway through."

He added:

"I think we didn't feel the absence of Sadio Mane or Mohamed Simakan, because we have a great group of players in different positions, and I thank everyone who contributed to achieving this victory. Injuries and pressure are part of football, and we have to live with these things. We must recover because in the coming period, we will face many difficult challenges."

The Knights of Najd will next face Al-Ettifaq on Tuesday, December 30.

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Cristiano Ronaldo sends message to fans on X after Al-Nassr's 3-0 win over Al-Akhdoud

Al-Nassr skipper Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a confident statement to fans on X after he was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant performance against Al-Akhdoud. Ronaldo earned a match rating of 8.9 (per FotMob) after scoring a brace during their 3-0 win at Al-Awwal Park (Saturday, December 27).

Cristiano Ronaldo tweeted:

"Hard work is the way to success!"

The 40-year-old has had a strong start for Al-Nassr this season as he aims to secure his first SPL title since joining the club in January 2023. He has registered 13 goals and three assists in 14 appearances across all competitions in the current campaign.

Edited by Silas Sud