Cristiano Ronaldo’s dreams of eventually winning the Saudi Pro League title with Al Nassr suffered a stunning late setback after rivals Al Hilal stole a stoppage-time equalizer in a tense Riyadh derby on Tuesday night.
French defender Mohamed Simakan gave Al Nassr the lead in the 37th minute of the title match, and it looked like they would win 1-0.
But with a spectacular equalizer in the 98th minute, Al Hilal broke Al Nassr hearts well into stoppage time, forcing a 1-1 draw and postponing Ronaldo’s title celebrations.
Despite controlling significant portions of the match, the late goal prevented Al Nassr from taking a significant stride toward mathematically winning the Saudi Pro League title.
Ronaldo, who recently scored his 100th Saudi Pro League goal in Al Nassr’s 4-2 victory over Al Shabab, was once again the center of attention as the league leaders looked for a decisive victory against their fiercest rivals. Simakan’s first-half finish appeared to give Jorge Jesus’ team another crucial victory in their title charge before Al Hilal’s spectacular late response stunned the home crowd. Despite the draw, Al Nassr is still in control of winning the Saudi Pro League trophy, which would be Ronaldo’s first league title since moving to Saudi Arabia in January 2023.
Before Al Hilal’s spectacular late comeback astonished the home crowd, Simakan’s first-half finish appeared sufficient to give Jorge Jesus’ team another vital victory in their title challenge.
The Saudi Pro League trophy, which would be Ronaldo’s first league championship since moving to Saudi Arabia in January 2023, is still expected to be won by Al Nassr despite the draw.
With 26 league goals and spearheading Al Nassr’s quest for both domestic and continental glory, the Portuguese superstar has had an incredible season.
ENigeria Newspaper note that Al Nassr are still in the running for the Asian Champions League trophy. Later on Saturday, there will be two finals as Ronaldo pursues additional titles in the last years of his incredible career.
