Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his brilliance yet again, scoring a first-half hat-trick as Al-Nassr crushed Pitso Mosimane’s Abha Football Club 8-0 in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday night, April 2.
The onslaught began early, with the Portuguese veteran breaking the deadlock in the 10th minute through a well-taken free kick, swiftly followed by another goal just 11 minutes later.
Having already established a commanding 2-0 lead, the Knights of Najd's Sadio Mane joined the scoring spree, extending the Riyadh-based team's lead to 3-0 after just 33 minutes.
Ronaldo continued his assault, completing his hat-trick in the 42nd minute, before setting up Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem for the fifth goal moments later, as reported by iDiski Times.
With Al-Nassr effectively assured of the victory, coach Luis Castro opted to bring both the veteran and Mane off to rest and yet the goals kept flowing.
Two free kicks and a cheeky chip.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 2, 2024
Another day, another hat trick for Cristiano Ronaldo ????
(via @SPL_EN)pic.twitter.com/j4qLVkguXb
Abdulrahman Ghareeb widened the gap by scoring the sixth goal in the 51st minute, followed by Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa's contribution in the 63rd, making it 7-0.
Al-Aliwa sealed the emphatic win with his second goal in the 86th minute, leaving Mosimane with the heaviest defeat of his coaching career.
While it was a challenging match for Abha, currently 17th in the SPL, they remain within reach of safety, despite only eight points under Mosimane's tenure.
What's next for Abha and Al-Nassr?
As reported by Goal, Ronaldo's stellar performance marked his 65th hat-trick in his illustrious career, including an impressive 35 trebles since turning 30, far surpassing Lionel Messi's tally since reaching the same milestone.
Looking ahead, Al-Nassr will prepare for Damac in their upcoming league fixtures they still trail league leaders, Al-Hilal, by 12 points.
Meanwhile, Abha will look to regroup as they prepare to face Al Fateh on Sunday, April 7.
