Al Nassr's bid to win the 2022/23 Saudi Pro League table is fading fast after a crushing 2-0 loss to Saudi power Al Hilal on Tuesday night in a Riyadh derby match.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr had a chance to catch Al Ittihad atop the table, but instead they dropped points for the second consecutive match. They are now three points back with just six games remaining, and leaders Al Ittihad also have a game in hand and could further extend their advantage.
Two penalty goals by Saudi Pro League top scorer Odion Ighalo (18 goals) decided the Riyadh derby. Both were decisions by English Premier League referee Michael Oliver, who was the latest brought from overseas to officiate a match in the Saudi league.
Al Hilal entered the match without a realistic hope at winning the title, back in fourth place, but they dominated the first half and deservedly went into halftime up 1-0 after a handball in the box was spotted by Oliver.
After the break, Al Nassr made two changes and started the second half strong, but when the slippery Al Hilal attacker Michael was brought down in the box, a second Ighalo penalty ended Al Nassr's hopes of a comeback.
Ronaldo thought he had a late penalty, only for a VAR check to scratch the attempt. He also scored a late goal, but he was ruled offside on the play on a frustrating evening for the would-be challengers.
MORE: Watch every Cristiano Ronaldo goal for Al Nassr so far
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr final score
| Final | |
| Al Hilal | 2 |
| Al Nassr | 0 |
Goals:
HILAL — Odion Ighalo (penalty) — 42nd min.
HILAL — Odion Ighalo (penalty) — 62nd min.
Lineups:
Al Hilal (4-3-3): Al-Mayouf (GK) — Al Burayk (Al-Shahrani 76'), Jang, Jahfali, Abdulhamid — Carrillo (N. Aldawsari 86'), Cuellar, Al-Faraj (Kanno 86') — Marega (S. Aldawsari 86'), Ighalo, Michael.
Al Nassr (4-2-3-1): Alaqidi (GK) — Al-Ghanam, Alamri (Lajami 46'), A. Gonzalez, Konan — Luiz Gustavo (Alkhaibari 90'), Abdulmajeed (Alhassan 71') — Yahya (Masharipov 46'), Talisca, Ghareeb (Maran 86') — Ronaldo
MORE: Al Nassr match schedule to end the 2022/23 season
How did Ronaldo play?
Cristiano Ronaldo had few opportunities to shine in the match because his team created little for him to finish.
He had a brief spell late in the second half in which he thought he had earned a penalty and thought he scored a goal. Both were scratched by VAR for the lack of a handball on the first, and a slight offside against Ronaldo on the second.
Ronaldo was left to wear a wry smile after both instances and as he trudged off the field at the end of the match, jeered by the Al Hilal supporters, it seemed as if it was with a sense of resignation that the title was now lost.
It was a frustrating night overall for Ronaldo, one which will be most remembered for this MMA takedown of an opponent which earned him a yellow card:
Why did Al Nassr lose?
The issues that have plagued Al Nassr under manager Rudi Garcia didn't go away now that the French manager was replaced by Under-19 coach Dinko Jelicic, who managed his first senior match against Al Hilal.
In fact, there was essentially no change to the 4-2-3-1 formation used under Garcia: The back six and the goalkeeper worried about defending, while the front four were preoccupied with attacking. But that setup doesn't work. Al Nassr doesn't play like a unit.
Firstly, the Al Hilal three-man midfield, featuring the likes of Peruvian Andre Carrillo and Colombian Gustavo Cuellar, outnumbered and outplayed Al Nassr's two-man central midfield all night.
And the Al Hilal forwards contributed to the buildup in an important way, coming back to connect passes, progress the ball, and generally keep it moving. Meanwhile, the four Al Nassr attackers all wanted to do the same thing: Take the ball and run at the defense.
Jelicic had a chance to make a slight tactical shift against a strong opponent — an Asian Champions League finalist and King Cup semifinalist — and yet he chose to keep the status quo. He could have matched Al Hilal with a real 4-3-3, sacrificing one of the attackers to do it. Instead he watched his team struggle once more, against a better-drilled derby foe that attacked and defended like a proper team.
Can Al Nassr win the Saudi Pro League?
It's looking bleak now for Al Nassr, who would drop to six points behind Al Ittihad if the leaders win their game in hand.
Al Nassr have four of their final six matches at home with their toughest match on paper coming against third-place Al Shabab.
Al Ittihad have four of their final seven matches at home, and they have a slightly tougher slate including Al Shabab (3rd), Al Hilal (4th), and Al Taawoun (6th).
| Pos | Team | Points | Matches Played |
Goals Scored |
Goal Difference |
Next Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Al Ittihad | 56 | 23 | 45 | +37 | vs. Al Shabab, April 27 |
| 2. | Al Nassr | 53 | 24 | 49 | +35 | vs. Al Raed, April 28 |
| 3. | Al Shabab | 50 | 23 | 49 | +27 | @ Al Ittihad, April 27 |
| 4. | Al Hilal | 49 | 25 | 45 | +22 | @ Damac, May 10 |
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr live updates, highlights from Saudi Pro League
Final: Al Hilal 2-0 Al Nassr
Al Nassr couldn't compete in the first half, and didn't do quite enough in the second half despite coming close on a couple of occasions.
It's a frustrating loss for Al Nassr, who saw their title bid falter, perhaps even for good. Now they need to hope that Al Ittihad trip up in their remaining seven matches to give Al Nassr another glimmer of hope in the final six weeks.
In the meantime it was heads down for Al Nassr as Ronaldo was jeered off the pitch by the hometown Al Hilal fans.
Meanwhile, Odion Ighalo and Al Hilal are still in the running for the King Cup and the Asian Champions League. Ighalo himself could also clinch his second straight Saudi Pro League Golden Boot.
92nd min.: SUB Al Nassr. Alkhaibari comes on for Luiz Gustavo in midfield.
90th min.: There are 15 minutes of stoppage time. 15 minutes!
89th min.: Chances on both ends! The match is wide open now. First Al Hilal's goalkeeper and centre-back make two stops in their box. Then on the other end, a Michael backheel was cleared off the line.
Here's that audacious attempt by Michael:
86th min.: SUBS. Two for Al Hilal and one for Al Nassr.
85th min.: No penalty for Al Nassr! After checking the monitor, Michael Oliver goes back on his decision.
83rd min.: Penalty Al Nassr! A Cristiano Ronaldo free kick caroms off the Al Hilal wall and Michael Oliver points to the spot. But replays show this might be coming back. No clear handball. And Oliver has to go check it on the monitor.
80th min.: Ronaldo chance! CR7 is coming alive late, but his header on a cross from the left doesn't cause any issues for the Al Hilal 'keeper. The Al Nassr challenge is petering out here in the derby match.
76th min.: Cristiano Ronaldo scores! But the assistant raises his flag. Now there's a VAR check. It was tight, but the offside is held up.
71st min.: SUB Al Nassr. Ali Alhassan is on for midfielder Abdulmajeed Alsulaihem.
70th min.: VAR check. Michael Oliver goes to the monitor to check whether Anderson Talisca deserved a red card for an off-the-ball stomp on an Al Hilal defender. Oliver only shows him a yellow.
62nd min.: Goal Al Hilal! Odion Ighalo cool from the spot once again and it's a comfortable 2-0 lead for the home side in the Riyadh derby.
61st min.: Penalty for Al Hilal! Referee Michael Oliver points to the spot even though there was a dive by Michael. Yes, there was contact -— it's a poor tackle by substitute Jaloliddin Masharipov — but Michael threw himself to the ground in a delayed reaction.
57th min.: Yellow card to Cristiano Ronaldo! He puts Colombian midfielder Gustavo Cuellar in a headlock and rides him into the ground. Definitely a yellow. That was a wrestling move.
54th min.: Chance Al Nassr! Best chance of the match for Ronaldo's side. Anderson Talisca gets the look and fires on goal, but Al Hilal's 'keeper is also up to the task.
53rd min.: Chance Al Hilal! Despite Al Nassr's strong start, it's Al Hilal with the big chance on the break. It was the front three combining for Al Hilal, but Al Nassr's goalkeeper makes the big save on Marega.
50th min.: It's been a really strong start by Al Nassr who have been on the front foot.
46th min.: SUBS Al Nassr. Ali Lajami and Jaloliddin Masharipov are in for centre-back Abudlelah Alamri and winger Ayman Yahya.
46th min.: Back underway for the second half and Al Nassr make two changes.
Halftime: Al Hilal 1-0 Al Nassr
The eight minutes of stoppage time fly by without incident except for a Michael slalom run in the box which is thwarted by the Al Nassr 'keeper. Al Hilal go into the lockers with an overall deserved lead for their initiative and better quality of play.
Nothing is working for Al Nassr on this day and Cristiano Ronaldo's side is visibly outmatched. They can only hope to catch Al Hilal napping with a lightning quick breakaway or magical solo effort by one of their stars. It's a long road ahead for Al Nassr.
45th min.: Referee Michael Oliver gives eight minutes of stoppage time since there were two lengthy injuries and the VAR check for the penalty.
42nd min.: Goal Al Hilal! Odion Ighalo sends the goalkeeper the wrong way and it's an easy penalty finish. The home team is deservedly ahead although the penalty was questionable given the player's arm was tucked in.
40th min.: Penalty Al Hilal! English referee Michael Oliver points to the spot after an Ighalo scissors kick in the box comes off the arm of an Al Nassr defender. And after a VAR check, the penalty stands.
37th min.: A quick long ball looking for Ronaldo goes past him and he remains on the ground after stretching for it. The home crowd begin jeering him and chanting "Ronaldo, Ronaldo."
32nd min.: Ronaldo chance! A cross from the right sees Ronaldo apply the glancing header, but it's not on target.
30th min.: The script for this game is clear by now. Al Hilal are better on the ball and in build-up, with Al Nassr looking to transition with speed, but those counterattacks are fueled by hopeful forward balls with little bite to the moves.
23rd min.: Chance Al Nassr! It starts from a Cristiano Ronaldo throw-in. His teammate Abdulrahman Ghareeb makes the run, but he can't get any force on the shot after rounding the goalkeeper.
19th min.: Chance Al Hilal! The hosts are reaching the Al Nassr box with ease, and now it's Ighalo getting a shot off, but it's blocked by Al Nassr left-back Ghislain Konan for a corner kick. Nothing comes of it.
12th min.: Injury stoppage. Centre-back Mohammed Jahfali makes a sliding tackle to stop an Al Nassr attack in his box and he slams his head against the ground. It looks bad initially, but he's back on his feet after some treatment.
8th min.: Double chance for Al Hilal! On a corner kick first it's Marega with a header on goal, and then defending Golden Boot champion Ighalo can't get the rebound on frame with the net at his mercy!
You would never know that it was Al Nassr battling for the title in these opening stages.
7th min.: Chance Al Hilal! The ball reaches Moussa Marega in the box and his shot is stopped by Al Nassr goalkeeper Alaquidi. Strong start by Al Hilal so far.
5th min.: Sloppy play from Al Nassr playing out of the back to start the match. Al Hilal have Al Nassr pinned in their own half with the visitors giving the ball up a few times in the early going. But Ronaldo & Co. haven't been punished for it.
1st min.: We're off. Al Hilal in blue and Al Nassr in their white kits.
1 mins from kickoff: The referee for the match is Premier League official Michael Oliver.
5 mins from kickoff: Teams emerge from the tunnel and there's a massive "Cheer for Al Hilal" tifo in the main section behind the players as they're lined up.
The visiting Al Nassr supporters had a tifo of their own for this derby:
10 mins from kickoff: There's a small contingent of Al Nassr supporters as the teams get set to take the field.
30 mins from kickoff: Teams are out warming up:
60 mins from kickoff: Sights and sounds outside the stadium:
... and inside the stadium with just under an hour to go:
90 mins from kickoff: The lineups are in:
2 hrs from kickoff: Here's a view at the venue for tonight's match at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh.
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr lineups
Starting Al Hilal goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, who is also the No. 1 for Saudi Arabia, is out for three weeks after the club revealed he sustained a shoulder ligament injury during Sunday's training. Another Saudi Arabian international star, Salem Aldawsari is available for selection again off the bench, while Colombian midfielder Gustavo Cuellar enters the starting lineup alongside Peruvian Andre Carrillo.
Al Hilal starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Abdullah Al-Mayouf (GK) — 2. Mohammed Al Burayk, 20. Hyun Soo Jang, 70. Mohammed Jahfali, 66. Saud Abdulhamid — 19. Andre Carrillo, 6. Gustavo Cuellar, 7. Salman Al-Faraj — 17. Moussa Marega, 9. Odion Ighalo, 96. Michael.
Al Hilal subs (9): 31. Habib Al-Wutaian (GK), 4. Khalifah Aldawsari, 12. Yasir Al-Shahrani, 16. Nasser Aldawsari, 28. Mohamed Kanno, 8. Abdullah Otayf, 29. Salem Aldawsari, 10. Luciano Vietto, 11. Saleh Al Shehri
No big changes for the first game in charge for 49-year-old Croatian boss Dinko Jelicic, who was in charge of Al Nassr's Under-19 team before filling in for the departed Rudi Garcia. He opted for Ayman Yahya and the always enterprising Abdulrhaman Ghareeb to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Talisca in the front four. Sami Al-Najei is not in the matchday squad and has missed three of the last four league matches.
Al Nassr starting lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): 44. Nawaf Alaqidi (GK) — 2. Sultan Al-Ghanam, 5. Abdulelah Alamri, 21. Alvaro Gonzalez, 13. Ghislain Konan — 18. Luiz Gustavo, 8. Abdulmajeed Alsulaihem — 23-Ayman Yahya, 94. Talisca, 29. Abdulrahman Ghareeb — 7. Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nassr subs (9): 22. Agustin Rossi (GK), 4. Mohammed Al-Fatil, 3. Abdullah Madu, 19. Ali Alhassan, 12. Nawaf Boushal, 17. Abdullah Alkhaibari, 78. Ali Lajami, 77. Jaloliddin Masharipov, 16. Mohammed Maran
MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo's salary in Saudi Arabia
Al Hilal vs Al Nassr live stream, TV channel
Local broadcasters in select countries have acquired the rights to televise or stream the Saudi Pro League, while fans in other countries can subscribe to streaming platform Shahid for complete coverage.
According to LiveSoccerTV, the following networks are carrying this match in some of the major territories:
| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Wed, Apr 19 | 05:00 AEST | — | 10 Play |
| Canada | Tue, Apr 18 | 15:00 EDT | — | Shahid |
| Hong Kong | Wed, Apr 19 | 03:00 HKT | — | Shahid |
| India | Wed, Apr 19 | 00:30 IST | Sony TEN 2 | Shahid, JioTV, SONY LIV |
| Malaysia | Wed, Apr 19 | 03:00 MYT | — | Shahid |
| New Zealand | Wed, Apr 19 | 07:00 NZST | — | Shahid |
| Singapore | Wed, Apr 19 | 03:00 SGT | — | Shahid |
| UK | Tue, Apr 18 | 20:00 GMT | — | Shahid, Sky Sports YouTube |
| USA | Tue, Apr 18 | 15:00 EDT | — | Shahid |
UK: Al Nassr matches are typically carried by Sky Sports via their YouTube channel, while Shahid is also a streaming option.
USA: The match will be streamed on Shahid live and on demand in the United States.
Canada: Saudi Pro League matches are also available on Shahid in Canada.
Australia: Al Nassr's matches can be found on 10 Play in Australia.