Al-Nassr overcame their host Al-Akhidood, winning 3-2 with a late goal during the opening of the 31st round of the Saudi Arabian football league, postponing Al-Hilal’s title celebration ahead of their match against Al-Hazm, who are at the bottom of the table on Saturday. Al-Hilal could have entered their match against Al-Hazm as champions for the nineteenth time if Al-Nassr had stumbled, but they now need at least a draw to secure the title.
Al-Nassr seemed on course for their third draw of the season when they initially took the lead through Croatian Marcelo Brozovic (7) and Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo (15), before Hassan Al-Habeeb reduced the deficit (60) and Nigerian Goodwin Savior equalized (70). However, Brozovic snatched victory for his team with a goal in the 90+1 minute.
With this result, Al-Nassr's points total rose to 77 in second place, while Al-Akhidood remained at 28 points in fifteenth place. Ronaldo scored his 33rd league goal, leading the scoring chart by a nine-goal margin over Serbian Alexander Mitrovic of Al-Hilal.
Al-Nassr has scored 34 goals against promoted teams since the first match of the former Manchester United, Juventus, and Real Madrid star. Ronaldo has now scored 14 goals against these specific teams in 8 matches.
In another match, Riyadh secured a valuable point against their visitors Al-Taawoun with a 0-0 draw, bringing Al-Taawoun's points to 52 in fourth place, while Riyadh's points increased to 30 in fourteenth place, distancing them from the relegation zone.
The match between Al-Fayha and Al-Fateh ended in a 2-2 draw. Al-Fayha's goals came from Zambian Fashion Sakala (29) and Moroccan Abdelhamid Sabiri (69), while Al-Fateh scored through Djannini from Cape Verde (47) and Algerian Sofiane Bendebka (76). Al-Fateh’s points rose to 42, placing them sixth, tied on points but with a goal difference advantage over Al-Fayha in seventh.
