Cristiano Ronaldo was left stunned as Al Nassr threw away a huge chance to move closer to the Saudi Pro League title after a dramatic late collapse against rivals Al Hilal on Tuesday.
Al Nassr looked set for one of their biggest wins of the season before conceding a heartbreaking stoppage-time equaliser in a tense 1-1 draw at Alawwal Park. The result means Ronaldo’s wait for a first Saudi league title remains unfinished, with the title race suddenly wide open again.
The derby had been tight and nervy from the beginning, with both sides aware of the stakes involved. But Al Nassr slowly took control and finally broke through in the first half when Mohamed Simakan fired home to send the home crowd into celebration.
From that point onwards, Al Nassr appeared comfortable. Al Hilal struggled to create meaningful openings, while the league leaders looked composed in possession and determined not to give anything away cheaply.
Still, there were warning signs. Just before half-time, Kingsley Coman had a huge opportunity to double Al Nassr’s advantage after intercepting a poor pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Coman struck the post instead of putting the game beyond doubt.
That miss came back to haunt Al Nassr in brutal fashion.
Deep into stoppage time, a harmless-looking cross into the penalty area suddenly caused complete panic between goalkeeper Bento and defender Inigo Martinez. Both players hesitated while attempting to deal with the ball, colliding into each other and allowing the situation to spiral into chaos. The ball eventually crossed the line, silencing the stadium and gifting Al Hilal a dramatic equaliser without any real pressure from an opposition attacker.
Ronaldo, substituted in the 83rd minute by Jorge Jesus, could only watch helplessly from the dugout as Al Nassr’s title celebration disappeared in an instant. After the final whistle, the Portuguese forward remained seated quietly, staring blankly ahead in visible frustration following the costly mistake.
Despite the damaging draw, Al Nassr still sit top of the Saudi Pro League standings with 83 points and need only one victory from their final match to secure the championship.
However, Al Hilal have now revived their hopes of defending the title. They remain five points behind but still have two games left to play against Neom and Al Fayha. If Al Nassr fail to win their final fixture and Al Hilal claim maximum points from their remaining matches, the title race could yet produce another dramatic twist.
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