Striker Cristiano Ronaldo did not have any shots on target as Al Nassr drew 2-2 at Al Riyadh Stadium in round 33 of the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes, touched the ball 31 times, passed accurately 12 out of 15 passes with a rate of 80%, successfully dribbled once, and missed the target three times. The Portuguese striker squandered the opportunity to face off in the 25th minute by kicking the ball out.

However, Ronaldo is still leading the top scorer race with 33 goals in the Saudi Pro League, six goals more than Al Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic when there is only one round left in the season. It is almost certain that Ronaldo will become the first player to win top scorer in four countries, including Saudi Arabia, England, Italy, and Spain.

Ronaldo complained after a collision with an opposing player in Al Nassr’s 2-2 draw with host Al Riyadh in round 33 of the Saudi Pro League on May 23. Photo: AFP

At Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium yesterday, Al Nassr dominated with 75% ball control, finishing 24 times with six hits on target, compared to 5 and 2 for Al Riyadh.

The away team opened the scoring in the 15th minute, when Otavio shot from outside the penalty area and hit an Al Riyadh player who changed direction towards the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Martin Campana rooted to the spot. Then, in turn, Andre Gray hit the ball diagonally, and then Mohammed Al-Aqel scored a flying volley to help Al Riyadh reverse the situation, leading 2-1 before the break.

In the 63rd minute, Al Nassr still had to play with a few players when midfielder Aymeric Laporte lost his temper and punched the home player in the back with his fist. After going to the sidelines to review the video, referee Khaled Al Teris issued a red card and sent the former Manchester City player away.

But Al Nassr still left with a point, thanks to a close-range rebound from substitute Fahad Al Nemer in the seventh minute of injury. The draw result did not affect the situation because Al Hilal won the championship three rounds early. Al Nassr is still ranked second with 79 points, 14 points behind Al Hilal.

Al Nassr has two matches remaining: meeting Al Ittihad in the final round of the Saudi Pro League on May 27 and the King Cup final with Al Hilal on May 31. After that, Ronaldo will join the Portuguese team to prepare for Euro 2024, where they are in Group F with the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Georgia.