Cristiano Ronaldo misses penalty as unwanted five year run ends with Al Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo had a night to forget for Al Nassr as he missed an early penalty and was forced off injured - but his side fought back from a goal down to claim victory

Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty for Al Nassr on Saturday night - failing to even hit the target before he was hauled off with an injury issue.

The Portuguese superstar is looking to finally hit the milestone of 1,000 career goals, but spurned a golden chance from the spot. Ronaldo took a deep inhale of breath before a stuttering run up, but whilst the goalkeeper went the wrong way, he saw his shot shave the outside of the post.

The veteran put his head into his hands as he saw the 11th minute spot kick pass him by - missing for the second time this season from 12 yards. He previously failed to score from the spot during their 5-1 win over Al Fateh in October.

It's the first time since the 2020/21 season that the former Manchester United star has missed two league penalties in a single campaign. That occurred when he was at Juventus - failing to convert against Atalanta and Inter Milan.

Ronaldo will have been fearing the worst when an own-goal from Abdulelah Al-Amri put Al Fayha ahead against his side, who are chasing the Saudi Pro League title. But a second-half rally saw them recover.

READ MORE : Every sport event impacted by US-Iran strikes with F1 chaos and terrifying scenesREAD MORE : Cristiano Ronaldo's net worth compared to Conor McGregor's after both hinted at buying Man Utd

MAKE THE MIRROR YOUR FIRST CHOICE! Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

Goals from Sadio Mane and an own goal by Mosquera turned the game back in their favour. Abdullah Al Hamdam sealed the victory late on, allowing Al Nassr to stay top of the table on 61 points, two clear of second place. They will be sweating on the fitness of Ronaldo however.

He felt discomfort in a muscle after the 70-minute mark and was substituted by Al Hamdam. Ronaldo, despite his age, remains incredibly durable and rarely endures periods on the sidelines. His relentless dedication to his recovery has allowed him to continue operating into his 40s.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

Ronaldo's blunder from the penalty spot was his 35th miss of his career. He's scored just north of 180, proving he can more than be trusted from 12 yards. But such is his profile and stature, those that don't go in often make the headlines, especially in vital games.

Ex-Liverpool, now Brentford goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher denied him when he saved a penalty in an international clash involving Portugal and the Republic of Ireland in recent years. During his second stint in Manchester he also missed from 12 yards during a shock penalty shootout loss to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.

Click here to read article