Saudi football’s newest big name signing made an upbeat introduction to his new public, but he was upstaged by the biggest of them all as Al Nassr powered on in the AFC Champions League Elite
Jhon Duran went straight into the starting line up to face Al Wasl, the UAE champions, on Monday night, after becoming the second most expensive signing in the history of the Saudi Pro League.
The Colombian striker’s switch from Aston Villa in the Premier League to the Riyadh club was one of the most seismic moves of the winter transfer window. All the more so because, aged just 21, he has his best years ahead of him.
On debut, though, he had to defer to a great from the other end of the age-range. Cristiano Ronaldo showed again there are plenty of goals left in his 39-year-old body. He helped himself to two as his side eased to a 4-0 win over their guests from Dubai.
Judged by the reception he got at the Al Awwal Stadium, Duran is already adored by the followers of his new club.
Even though Al Nassr hardly want for stars, the new striker got the biggest cheer of the team announcements. To endear himself even more, he went around the perimeter of the fired pre kick off giving out T-shirts and footballs.
He had his chance to make his mark as early as the third minute. Ronaldo was the supplier with an appetising cross from the right. Unmarked, Duran barely got anything on the ball.
Three minutes later he was more decisive in fashioning a chance to shoot from distance. His shot drifted wide, but it was enough to get the home fans roaring his name.
For all their clever interplay, the overseas stars of the home team were largely wasteful when chances fell their way. It took a Saudi player to show them how it should be done.
As a holding midfielder, Ali Al Hassan generally busies himself with winning possession back to give to the more celebrated colleagues in front of him. In the 26th minute, he fired in a drive from range that any of the stars would have been happy with, after Al Wasl’s defence had taken turns to fail to clear the ball.
Shortly after that opening, Duran was on the ball again as he went through in the inside right channel with space to cross. As he tried to do so, he kicked it with his standing foot while tripping over.
Al Nassr’s lead was doubled by a more customary source. The hosts were granted a penalty after the referee finally saw what had seemed patently clear to everyone else in the stadium – a header from Sadio Mane struck the hand of Salem Juma Awad – after looking at the review monitor. Ronaldo dispatched it, and the whole stadium erupted in a “Siu” with him.
The home faithful did their best to create some noise, even if it was generally subdued given their team’s comfortable position in the group, and the ease with which they held Wasl at arm’s length.
There was a sense that the Viking thunderclap they produced as half time neared was as much about warming their hands as it was supporting their team.
It might not exactly be a Scandinavian winter, but Duran must have been wondering where his plane had landed having set off from Birmingham. The temperature was in the low teens, and it felt decidedly chilly.
As their players went through the motions in the second half, the crowd of 20,384 largely entertained themselves again. A Mexican wave even did several laps of the stands.
With victory long since sealed, they were enlivened again late on, first as Ronaldo headed the third. The Portuguese forward took his curtain call not long after, and just after he did so, Mohammed Al Fatil headed the fourth to set the seal on an easy evening’s work for the hosts.
Nassr maintained their third-place position to guarantee their place in the knockout round while Wasl stay fifth on 11 points.
