Al-Hilal reduced the gap to Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad to four points with a 2-0 victory over Al-Fayha on Friday, while Cristiano Ronaldo scored but Al-Nassr were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Shabab in the Riyadh derby.
Al-Hilal 2-0 Al-Fayha
Under pressure after a run of just two wins in their last six league games, Al-Hilal secured a crucial victory thanks to goals in each half. Mohamed Kanno opened the scoring, heading home powerfully from a Ruben Neves corner, finding himself unmarked near the penalty spot.
Aleksandar Mitrovic, returning from injury, sealed the win in the 90th minute, stroking home a pass from Salem Al-Dawsari. The victory, while not a vintage performance, provided a much-needed boost for under-fire coach Jorge Jesus.
Al-Nassr 2-2 Al-Shabab
In Riyadh, Al-Nassr’s title hopes suffered a further blow as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Shabab. The result leaves Al-Nassr 10 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.
Abderrazak Hamdallah gave Al-Shabab the lead against his former club, converting a penalty after Daniel Podence was brought down in the area.
Al-Nassr responded with two goals in first-half stoppage time. Ayman Yahya equalized, lashing home a rebound after a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick was cleared. Ronaldo then put Al-Nassr ahead, smashing the ball into the roof of the net from the right side of the area for his 18th league goal of the season.
However, Al-Nassr were reduced to 10 men seven minutes into the second half when Mohammed Al-Fatil was sent off for a foul on Podence. Al-Shabab capitalized on their numerical advantage midway through the second period, with Mohammed Al-Shwirekh heading home from a corner.
Title Race Tightens
With 10 games remaining, the Saudi Pro League title race remains tightly contested. Only 10 points separate the top five teams, setting up an exciting conclusion to the season. Al-Hilal’s victory and Al-Nassr’s draw put pressure on leaders Al-Ittihad.
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