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    Cristiano Ronaldo ‘rolls back the years’ in Saudi Arabia with a 40-yard free-kick and praised for giving his teammates a penalty

    Cristiano Ronaldo scored many a free-kick in his younger days but has left much to be desired with his attempts in recent years, until his thundering effort for Al-Nassr

    Ronaldo ghi siêu phẩm sút phạt từ 30m, được khen ngợi vì nhường đồng đội đá penalty - 3

    Cristiano Ronaldo thundered in a free-kick for Al-Nassr

    Cristiano Ronaldo “rolled back the years” by rifling in a long-ranged free-kick for Al-Nassr on Saturday.

    The 38-year-old’s side were 1-0 down to Abha in the Saudi Pro League when he stepped up to take a free-kick from 40-yards out, standing over the ball in his trademark stance.

    Ronaldo ghi siêu phẩm sút phạt từ 30m, được khen ngợi vì nhường đồng đội đá penalty - 4

    Many would not have expected much from such a range given Ronaldo’s lack of joy in recent times from set-pieces. But the forward channelled his first spell at Manchester United by netting a wonder-goal to equalise.

    Ronaldo used his famous knuckleball technique to fire the ball past the wall and into the bottom-left hand corner. The goalkeeper was unable to reach the spectacular effort, leaving the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to celebrate emphatically.

    Cristiano Ronaldo's 5 greatest goals after his overhead kick against Juve

    It was reminiscent of the Portuguese star’s many free-kicks from earlier in his career, including the famous ones for United against Arsenal and Portsmouth. And fans unsurprisingly couldn’t hold back their joy as they gushed over the forward on social media.

    He stepped up from 40-yards out

    He stepped up from 40-yards outThe ball flew past the wall and into the net

    The ball flew past the wall and into the net

    One Twitter user wrote: “Cristiano Ronaldo from 35+ yards out, rolling back the years, what a free-kick.”

    Another fan tweeted: “It’s like watching an old Ronaldo freekick comp. my goat still got it.”

    A third commented: “HOLY S*** WHAT A FREE KICKKKKKKKKKKKK OHMYYYYYYYDAYYYYYYYSSS.”

    Cristiano Ronaldo was a set-piece specialist in his younger days

    Cristiano Ronaldo was a set-piece specialist in his younger days

    And a fourth added: “The greatest there is. The greatest there was. The greatest there ever will be.”

    The goal marked Ronaldo’s ninth goal for Al-Nassr in just eight matches. It comes despite his visible frustrations earlier in the week during the King Cup of Champions quarter-final clash with Abha, where he threw a tantrum on the stroke of half-time by hoofing the ball away and kicking a water bottle.

     

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