Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 25th goal of the season as Al-Nassr secured a crucial 2-0 victory over Al-Ahli at Al-Awwal Park on Wednesday night, strengthening their position at the top of the Saudi Pro League.
The match was a tense affair, with both teams aware that the outcome could significantly impact the title race. Al-Nassr entered the game knowing that a win would effectively eliminate Al-Ahli from contention, while a victory for the visitors would have closed the gap to just four points with a game in hand.
The atmosphere was electric in Riyadh, but the first 75 minutes failed to produce any goals. Both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances, with only seven shots between them before the breakthrough. Al-Ahli, despite their recent AFC Champions League triumph, looked subdued and unable to replicate their usual attacking flair.
Ivan Toney was largely isolated for Al-Ahli, rarely testing goalkeeper Bento, whose only save came from a Merih Demiral header in the 13th minute. Al-Nassr themselves were unusually quiet in attack, even with newly appointed Saudi Arabia coach Giorgios Donis watching from the stands.
However, when Al-Nassr needed a moment of magic, Ronaldo delivered. In the 75th minute, Joao Felix swung in a perfect corner, and Ronaldo powered a header into the far corner to break the deadlock and send the home crowd into ecstasy.
Ronaldo is now chasing his third consecutive Golden Boot in the Saudi Pro League, with his tally reaching 25 goals, just three behind leader Julian Quinones of Al-Qadsiah.
Al-Nassr added a second goal in the 90th minute when a poorly cleared corner fell to Kingsley Coman, who unleashed a thunderous shot past Edouard Mendy to seal the victory.
The win leaves Al-Nassr on 79 points with four games remaining, eight points clear of Al-Hilal, who have a game in hand. Al-Nassr's next match is against fourth-placed Al-Qadsiah on Sunday. Al-Ahli, now 13 points behind with five games left, see their hopes of a first league title in a decade all but extinguished.
In other matches, Al-Ittihad secured a 2-0 away win over Al-Taawoun, while Al-Qadsiah thrashed Al-Riyadh 4-0 to move within a point of Al-Ahli. Thursday's fixtures include Al-Okhdood hosting Al-Ettifaq and Al-Kholood facing Al-Fayha.
