Ronaldo scored a penalty again and had the lowest rating; Felix completed a hat-trick and Coman scored as Victory Riyadh won 5-0 for a strong season start.

At 2 a.m. on August 30 Beijing time, in the opening round of the Saudi Pro League, Victory Riyadh played away against Al-Batin Cooperation.

During the first half, Angelo set up Felix for a swift shot that netted the league’s first goal, while Mane’s shot threatened the goal. Victory Riyadh held a 1-0 lead at halftime. In the second half, Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot to increase the lead, Coman scored the league’s first header goal, and Felix sealed his hat-trick with two additional goals.

In the end, Victory Riyadh dominated Al-Batin Cooperation 5-0 away, securing a victorious start in the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Batin Cooperation lined up in a 4-3-3 formation under Chamuska, with a starting squad valued at 18.45 million euros;Jesus deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation, placing Ronaldo upfront, Felix behind him, Mane and Coman on the wings, Angelo and B. Ronaldo as double defensive midfielders, a back four of Yahya, Inigo, Simakan, and Nawaf, with Archidi guarding the goal. The starting lineup’s total value was 119 million euros. .

In the Saudi Pro League’s first round, Victory Riyadh swept Al-Batin Cooperation 5-0 away. The disparity between the two teams was clear, and Victory Riyadh’s opening win was expected. The two new signings for Victory Riyadh performed excellently, with Felix scoring a hat-trick and Coman also finding the net. However, Ronaldo’s situation was somewhat awkward; although he scored again from a penalty, he now seems overly reliant on penalties and may have lost his ability to score from open play. After the match, Ronaldo received Victory Riyadh’slowest rating among the starting eleven at 6.7 points.This clearly shows Ronaldo depends heavily on the team’s tactics. While this strategy works against weaker teams, it could fail in matches against stronger opponents, which is a fundamental reason why the club has failed to win titles for a long time.

Match statistics further explain why Ronaldo was the lowest-rated starter for Victory Riyadh in this game.Victory Riyadh had 59% possession and made 21 shots, with 10 on target,while Al-Batin Cooperation managed only 4 shots, with just 1 on target. Ronaldo had unlimited shooting opportunities with full team support, and in this match,he took 8 shots alone—the most on the field, double the entire Al-Batin Cooperation team’s attempts—but scored only one penalty, whereas Felix scored 3 goals from 5 shots.These statistics clearly highlight Ronaldo’s awkward position in this Victory Riyadh squad, where he plays primarily to boost personal stats, which seriously affects the team’s maximum strength.