Cristiano Ronaldo scored as Al-Nassr secured a 3-0 victory against Ettifaq on Friday, marking a successful debut for new head coach Stefano Pioli.
The Italian coach, who previously led AC Milan to the Serie A title in 2022, was appointed on Wednesday to replace Luis Castro. Castro was dismissed after a slow start to the season, with only one win in three Saudi Pro League matches.
Ronaldo, who missed Al-Nassr’s previous 1-1 draw in the AFC Champions League against Iraq’s Al-Shorta due to a viral infection, converted a penalty in the 33rd minute for his third goal of the season.
Following his goal, the 39-year-old celebrated by holding up three fingers, a gesture directed at his son, Cristiano Jr., who was in the stands. His son’s earlier performance inspired this celebration, where the 14-year-old scored two goals for Al-Nassr’s Under-15 team in a 4-0 victory over Al Qadsiah.
In the second half, Salem Al-Najdi and Anderson Talisca added two more goals to seal Al-Nassr’s win. The defeat marked Ettifaq’s first loss of the season, and they remain in third place, while Al-Nassr moved up to fourth in the standings.
In other matches, Al-Ahli secured a 4-2 victory over Damac, bolstered by two goals from Ivan Toney, who joined from Brentford in August. Toney also assisted Gabri Veiga’s opening goal, while former Liverpool star Roberto Firmino contributed another goal for Al-Ahli.
Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad occupy the top two spots in the league standings and are set to clash on Saturday.
