Ronaldo's Al-Nassr grind past bottom side Abha
Ronaldo scored and rallied his teammates before kickoff as Al-Nassr edged struggling Abha 2:1, keeping pace with Al-Hilal atop the table.
Cristiano Ronaldo told his Al-Nassr team-mates to blow Abha away inside the opening 20 minutes, and by the time the whistle went for full time his side had done just enough to win 2:1.
A dressing-room video released before the match showed the Al-Nassr captain addressing the squad.
"Guys, I want to tell you something. The last game is already behind us, it's in the past. Today, in the first 20 minutes, we have to tear them apart, make them think beating this lot is impossible. The first 20 minutes are decisive. Let's start very strong. Come on!"
Abha pulled one back to make it a nervy finish against the bottom side in the table, but Al-Nassr held on.
Ronaldo was left off the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist announced this month, with Messi picking up a 17th nomination. A result like this, built on his goal and his words before kick-off, keeps the bigger prize — the title race with Al-Hilal — very much where Al-Nassr want it.
About this article
Prepared by the newsroom with algorithmic assistance and checked against sources