With Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr set to overlook out on the Saudi Professional League title once more, he’s bought much more issues within the form of Ivan Toney.
Nassr misplaced 2-1 to Al Qadsiah throughout Friday’s SPL motion failing to capitalise on a uncommon slip-up by Karim Benzema’s league leaders Al Ittihad who fell to Al Fateh.
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The hole to the highest stays at eight factors with six to play, however there’s additionally hassle brewing within the prime scorer race.
The largest win of the night time noticed Al Ahli smash Al Fayha 5-0, and Toney bagged two targets throughout the rout.
In doing so the previous Brentford and England striker moved as much as joint second within the league’s scoring charts with 19 in 24 video games.
That’s simply 4 behind Ronaldo who failed to search out the online towards Qadsiah to additional lose floor, with Sadio Mane scoring his aspect’s equaliser earlier than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang headed dwelling a late winner.
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Ronaldo additionally has a fellow former Manchester United man to thank for his distress too, with Chris Smalling committing a cardinal sin for a defender in defeat to Al Ahli.
The centre-back, who left Previous Trafford in 2021 a 12 months earlier than Ronaldo’s second spell, failed to dam off former Porto striker Galeno dashing for a free ball ahead with the rating 3-0.
Goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera rushed out to appropriate his teammate’s error.
However he was over keen in his makes an attempt, and – cautious about Galeno swooping in – picked up the ball outdoors of the field.
That resulted in an unarguable pink card for the shot-stopper, who’d already conceded 3 times from headers from corners.
Toney nodded one in, however not earlier than a double from Smalling’s former Roma defensive companion Roger Ibanez.
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With Fayha down to 10 males, Manchester Metropolis legend Riyad Mahrez quickly gained a penalty for Toney to attain his second of the match and nineteenth of the season.
The Algerian winger then added certainly one of his personal to go away Smalling’s aspect 4 factors from the relegation zone.
Toney’s targets moved him joint second on the scoring charts with Al Shabab’s Abderrazzaq Hamed-Allah whereas Ittihad’s Ballon d’Or winner Benzema is 2 again on 17.
Ought to any of these within the working discover a strategy to eclipse Ronaldo, it could be a formidable turnaround for the reason that Actual Madrid legend made the Professional League his personal.
Shifting in January 2023 after his time at United got here to a sorry finish, Ronaldo scored 14 targets in half a season to complete fifth within the charts.
That summer season an enormous inflow of world class gamers joined the league, together with Neymar and N’Golo Kante amongst many others.
But regardless of the competitors, Ronaldo nonetheless led the scoring charts with 35 targets, seven greater than second-placed Al Hilal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
The previous Fulham and Newcastle marksmen had the final snicker, although, profitable the league, and his aspect are once more in with a title shot, closing the hole to leaders Ittihad to 4 factors after their slip up.