Once again, Cristiano Ronaldo was the decisive figure for Al-Nassr. The Portuguese superstar delivered under pressure on Friday, converting a last-minute penalty to put his team ahead. Al-Shabab had a chance to equalize moments later, but their missed penalty sealed the win for Ronaldo’s side.
This crucial victory keeps Al-Nassr within striking distance of Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal. Facing one of the strongest teams of the season in Al-Shabab, who were just two points behind, Al-Nassr needed a win to stay competitive in the title race—and Ronaldo ensured they got it.
After a tightly contested first half with few clear scoring opportunities, Aymeric Laporte broke the deadlock for Al-Nassr 24 minutes into the second half. The defender found the back of the net with a well-placed left-footed shot following a corner kick and a series of rebounds inside the box.
However, Al-Nassr’s lead was short-lived. In the 90th minute, Al-Shabab equalized through an unfortunate own goal by substitute Ali Al-Hassan. Just minutes after coming onto the pitch, Al-Hassan found himself unable to avoid redirecting a low, driven cross from Nawaf Al-Sadi into his own net.
The chaos of the final minutes
Al-Shabab’s 90th-minute equalizer appeared to be a devastating blow for Al-Nassr, but the team remained confident and pressed for victory in stoppage time. Their persistence paid off when Argentine referee Dario Herrera pointed to the spot after a foul on Abdulrahman Ghareeb inside the box. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty, and with his trademark composure, calmly sent the ball past the goalkeeper.
The clock had already passed 97 minutes, but the drama wasn’t over yet. Shortly after play resumed, Al-Shabab launched an attack that culminated in a foul inside the box. Following a VAR review, the decision was made to award another penalty. However, unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Shabab’s Abderrazak Hamdallah couldn’t find the target, as his shot struck the post, allowing CR7 and Al-Nassr to breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate a hard-fought victory.
The current status of the Saudi Pro League
At the top of the Saudi Pro League standings, Al-Hilal lead with 21 points after seven consecutive wins. Despite being without Neymar Jr., they secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Al Feiha on Friday. Al-Nassr currently sit in second place with 17 points but could be overtaken by Karim Benzema‘s Al-Ittihad, who have 15 points and a game in hand, set for tomorrow against Al Qadisiya.