Saudi Pro League: Ronaldo shines again in a 'buckle up' round in 'Clasico'

Sitting atop the goal scorers' chart, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr dominated the headlines of the fourth round of the Saudi Pro League. Meanwhile, his former Real Madrid teammate, Frenchman Karim Benzema, beds with injuries after his early exit before the highly anticipated clash with Al-Hilal on Friday. 

Once again, Al-Nassr leaned on the five-time Player of the Year, as he continued his ascent towards the top after two initial losses. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad, the league leader and defending champion, and Al-Hilal, the record holder with 18 titles, prepared for their impending summit clash in the best way possible. 

At the same time, Algerian duo Riyad Mahrez and Ivorian Franck Kessié led Al-Ahli, who returned, to their fourth victory against Al-Ta'ee, maintaining the grip on the leadership shared between Jeddah's giants. 

The "Don" deepened Al-Shabab's wounds, converting two penalty kicks and contributing to the creation of two goals for Senegalese Sadio Mané and Sultan Al-Ghannam. 

Ronaldo, who has become the highest-scoring Portuguese in the league, surpassing Al-Hazem's striker Fabio Martins (19 compared to 18), increased his tally to 5 goals. He advanced ahead of Al-Hilal's Brazilian Malcom, Al-Ittihad's Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah, and his Al-Nassr teammate, Senegalese Sadio Mané, with four goals. 

AFP