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Al Nassr Reclaim Saudi Pro League Summit with Attacking Masterclass

Al Nassr regained top spot in the Saudi Pro League after delivering a dominant attacking display away from home, thrashing Al Najma 5-0.

The match saw Spanish defender Iñigo Martínez score twice, while Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo contributed a goal and an assist, guiding his side to a commanding victory that lifted them to 58 points — two clear of Al Ahli and three ahead of third-placed Al Hilal.

Al Nassr entered the contest determined to settle matters early and needed just seven minutes to open the scoring. After Abdullah Hawsawi fouled Ronaldo inside the penalty area, the referee consulted VAR before pointing to the spot. Ronaldo stepped up and converted confidently, handing his side an early advantage that unsettled the hosts.

The pressure from Al Nassr continued relentlessly. In the 31st minute, a cross delivered by Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozović led to the second goal after an Al Najma defender failed to clear properly, allowing French winger Kingsley Coman to finish from close range with a smart movement inside the box.

Al Najma suffered another setback shortly afterwards when Brazilian goalkeeper Victor Braga was forced off due to injury following a heavy collision while attempting to deal with a high ball. Walid Al-Anazi replaced him, but the substitution offered little respite as Al Nassr maintained their intensity. Martínez then added the third goal before half-time with a powerful long-range strike in the 42nd minute.

At the start of the second half, Al Nassr showed no signs of easing off. Just seven minutes after the restart, Senegalese forward Sadio Mané made it 4-0, finishing clinically inside the box after a precise low cross from Ronaldo.

Despite their comfortable lead, Al Nassr kept pushing forward. Substitute Abdullah Al-Hamdan nearly added his name to the scoresheet in the 60th minute when his effort deflected off a defender and struck the post.

Ten minutes before full-time, Martínez completed his brace and sealed the rout, rising to meet a corner delivered by Abdulrahman Ghareeb and heading home from close range.

With this emphatic victory, Al Nassr sent a strong statement to their title rivals, proving that losing top spot had only been a temporary setback. Meanwhile, Al Najma remain rooted to the bottom of the table in 18th place with just eight points, further complicating their battle against relegation.

In another fixture played at the same time, Al Fayha were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Neom, taking their tally to 27 points in 11th place, while Neom moved to 32 points in eighth.

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