Cristiano Ronaldo was silent despite Al-Nassr's victory, missing all three shots on target and receiving a low rating; he also provoked the opposing goalkeeper by pushing his head but avoided a red card.

18/01/2026 08:35:00 pandatv

At 01:30 on January 18th Beijing time, during the 16th round of the Saudi Pro League, Al-Nassr played at home against Al-Shabab.

In the first half, Felix forced an own goal, Coman scored a bicycle kick to increase the lead, and Simakan accidentally scored an own goal, leaving Al-Nassr ahead 2-1 at halftime; in the second half, Cavaho scored a solo goal to level the match, Shiro received a red card, and Galeb scored off the bench.

In the end, Al-Nassr narrowly defeated the 10-man Al-Shabab 3-2 at home, ending a four-match winless streak in the league; they now have 34 points and sit second, four points behind Al-Hilal who have played fewer games.

In the Al-Nassr versus Al-Shabab match, Jesus deployed a 4-4-1-1 formation with Ronaldo upfront, Felix behind him, Coman as left central midfielder, Simakan and Inigo as center backs, and Brazilian goalkeeper Bento in goal; the starting lineup's total worth was 114 million euros. Al-Shabab used a 4-4-2 formation with a starting lineup valued at 37.1 million euros.

There was a significant difference in squad strength between the two teams, but Al-Nassr’s offense heavily depended on Ronaldo, making their tactics slow and frustrating. Ronaldo played the full match, had three shooting attempts but none on target, touched the ball 39 times, lost possession 8 times, and received a low rating of 6.6. At 40 years old, his decline in form is understandable. However, his behavior was incomprehensible: after a teammate’s winning goal, he provoked the opposing goalkeeper by pushing his head in a humiliating manner. VAR did not intervene, though such conduct warrants a red card. Thus, despite the team’s win, Ronaldo’s silence and provocative actions cast a shadow; fortunately, he avoided being sent off.