Cristiano Ronaldo netted from the penalty spot to guide Al-Nassr to a solid 2-0 win over Al-Wehda, keeping manager Stefano Pioli’s winning streak alive in the Saudi Pro League. The match on Friday saw Al-Nassr dominate their opponents, who played the latter stages with 10 men after Waleed Bakshween’s dismissal.

Angelo opened the scoring just before halftime, capitalizing on a superb through ball from Sadio Mane to lift a clever finish over Al-Wehda’s goalkeeper, Abdullah Al Owaishir. The visiting team, already struggling, faced further misfortune as Bakshween received a red card late in the game for dissent.

Despite showing resilience after falling behind, Al-Wehda couldn’t overcome Al-Nassr’s pressure. Youssef Amyn came close with a shot just before the break, and Juninho Bacuna forced a strong save from Al-Nassr keeper Bento early in the second half. However, Ronaldo’s penalty in the 60th minute, awarded after Mohamed Al Makahasi fouled Sultan Al Ghannam, effectively sealed the result.

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Sadio Mane thought he had added a third in the 81st minute, but his goal was disallowed due to Ronaldo being slightly offside in the build-up. Al-Wehda’s night worsened when Bakshween was sent off for dissent just five minutes later.

The win elevates Al-Nassr to second place in the league, trailing leaders Al-Hilal by just one point, while Al-Wehda languishes in 14th.

Pioli’s Historic Start at Al-Nassr
Stefano Pioli’s reign has started brightly, with his team keeping consecutive clean sheets in the league. After a 3-0 victory over Al-Ettifaq in his debut match, Pioli has become the first manager in Al-Nassr’s history to win his opening two games without conceding a goal. Al-Nassr’s dominance in the first half was evident, firing 14 of their 19 total shots, and racking up 1.42 expected goals.