a2Reading
The Match
Date: Friday, 14th February 2026
Teams: Al Fateh 0 - 2 Al Nassr
Stadium: Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium, Al-Ahsa
Competition: Saudi Pro League (Matchday 22)
What Happened?
Al Nassr won an important match against Al Fateh on Friday night. The final score was 2-0. Al Nassr played away from home, but they controlled the game well.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first goal in the 23rd minute. This was a very special goal because Ronaldo was playing his first match after missing two games. His teammate Sadio Mané gave him a perfect pass, and Ronaldo scored with a calm finish.
In the second half, Al Nassr had another goal, but the referee said it was not allowed. Mohamed Simakan scored, but he made a foul first, so the goal did not count.
The match was slow in the second half with many fouls. Finally, in the 78th minute, Ayman Yahya scored the second goal for Al Nassr. This made the score 2-0 and Al Nassr won the match.
Why Was Ronaldo's Return Important?
Cristiano Ronaldo did not play in Al Nassr's last two matches. He was not happy with the club's management. Ronaldo wanted the club to buy more players in the transfer window, but they did not. He also wanted the club to pay the players' salaries on time.
Ronaldo stopped playing to protest. This means he did not play to show he was unhappy. After the club promised to fix these problems, Ronaldo decided to return to the team.
He scored after only 18 minutes in his comeback match! This was his 962nd career goal. Ronaldo has now scored goals for 24 years in a row (from 2002 to 2026). This is amazing!
The League Table
After this victory, Al Nassr moved up to second place in the Saudi Pro League. Here are the top teams:
Al Hilal - 53 points (21 matches played)
Al Nassr - 52 points (20 matches played)
Al Nassr has one game less than Al Hilal, so they have a chance to go to first place soon. The title race is very exciting!
Al Nassr has also kept five clean sheets in a row. This means they did not let the other team score in their last five matches.
Match Statistics
Possession: Al Fateh 49.6% - Al Nassr 50.4%
Shots: Al Fateh 7 - Al Nassr 11
Shots on target: Al Fateh 3 - Al Nassr 1
Corner kicks: Al Fateh 6 - Al Nassr 4
Yellow cards: Al Fateh 0 - Al Nassr 1
Basic Glossary
Word/Phrase | Meaning |
away from home | playing at the other team's stadium |
final score | the result at the end of the match |
controlled the game | played better and had more chances |
assist | a pass that helps a teammate score |
calm finish | scoring without stress or panic |
foul | breaking the rules (pushing, holding, etc.) |
referee | the person who controls the match |
disallowed | not allowed, cancelled |
transfer window | the time when clubs can buy new players |
protest | to show you disagree with something |
comeback | returning after being away |
career goal | a goal in your whole professional life |
league table | shows which teams are first, second, etc. |
title race | competition to win the championship |
clean sheet | when a team doesn't let the opponent score |
possession | controlling the ball |
on target | shots that go towards the goal |
Vocabulary Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete these sentences with words from the glossary:
Ronaldo scored with a __________ after receiving a pass from Mané.
Al Nassr are in second place in the __________.
The goal was __________ because Simakan made a foul.
Al Nassr won 2-0, so they kept a __________.
This was Ronaldo's __________ match after missing two games.
Sadio Mané gave an __________ for Ronaldo's goal.
Ronaldo did not play because he wanted to __________.
The __________ decided the goal was not allowed.
Vocabulary Exercise 2: Match the Words
Match the football words with their meanings:
Word | Meaning |
1. Possession | A. When you score a goal for your team |
2. Foul | B. Controlling the ball |
3. Assist | C. Time when clubs buy players |
4. Clean sheet | D. Breaking the rules in football |
5. Transfer window | E. A pass that helps someone score |
6. Title race | F. Playing at another team's stadium |
7. Career goal | G. No goals allowed by the opponent |
8. Away from home | H. Competition to be champions |
Discussion Questions
Why do you think Ronaldo decided to protest?
Is it important for a team to have good management? Why?
Do you think Al Nassr can win the championship this year?
Ronaldo is 41 years old. Is that old for a football player?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer Key
Exercise 1:
calm finish
league table
disallowed
clean sheet
comeback
assist
protest
referee
Exercise 2:
1-B, 2-D, 3-E, 4-G, 5-C, 6-H, 7-A, 8-F
