The countdown has begun for the final match of the King Salman Cup, set to take place this Friday evening between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. The anticipated Riyadh derby will kick off at 9 PM Mecca time at the "King Abdullah Sports City" Stadium in Jeddah. This match comes just days after the conclusion of the Saudi league, which Al-Hilal won undefeated, dominating the standings with 96 points, 14 points ahead of second-placed Al-Nassr.
**Initial Shock**
Al-Nassr started its season in the best possible way by snatching the King Salman Club Cup (Arab Championship) title from Al-Hilal, winning 2-1 in the final. It can be said that Cristiano Ronaldo was the key player in this victory, turning the game around by scoring twice after being down 1-0. At that time, Ronaldo was the top scorer of the tournament with 6 goals, shocking Al-Hilal early in the season before entering local and continental battles.
**Al-Hilal's Response**
Al-Hilal managed to turn this setback into a fiery start, achieving the Saudi league title undefeated for the second time in its history. They achieved a record point tally (96) and the best scoring record (101), outperforming Al-Nassr by 14 points and a single goal. Not stopping there, they also claimed the Saudi Super Cup after defeating Al-Nassr 2-1 in the semi-finals, before beating Ittihad Jeddah in the final with a score of 4-1. Additionally, Al-Hilal won against Al-Nassr in the first round of the league (3-0) and drew in the second round (1-1).
**Final Derby**
The Al-Nassr vs. Al-Hilal derby will be the last match of the local season in Saudi football, following a fierce rivalry between the two sides for various titles. Al-Hilal hopes to secure a domestic treble, while Al-Nassr aims to conclude its season positively by winning the cup, alongside the Arab Championship, and preventing its direct rival from continuing its success. Al-Nassr relies on its top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve this goal, just as he did in the Arab Championship match, to grant his team a new title. Ronaldo ended the Saudi league as the top scorer with a record of 35 goals.
