In a thrilling Saudi Pro League match, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr suffered a dramatic last-minute defeat to Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad. Played on Wednesday (May 7) at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, the clash between the former Real Madrid teammates delivered a match packed with excitement for fans.
Al Nassr started the game aggressively and took an early lead in the 3rd minute with a goal from Sadio Mané. In the 24th minute, Ronaldo attempted a spectacular overhead kick, but narrowly missed. However, in the 37th minute, Ayman Yahya doubled the lead for Al Nassr. Although the goal initially sparked some controversy, VAR confirmed its validity.
Al Nassr led 2–0 at halftime, but the second half saw a complete turnaround. In the 49th minute, Benzema scored with a header to reduce the deficit. Just two minutes later, N’Golo Kanté equalized following an assist from Benzema. Both sides created several chances afterward, but neither could break the deadlock.
As the match appeared to be heading for a draw, a dramatic moment arrived in the third minute of stoppage time. Moussa Diaby delivered a cross from the left wing, and although the goalkeeper initially saved a shot from Houssem Aouar, the Algerian midfielder calmly slotted in the rebound to seal the victory for Al Ittihad.
With this win, Al Ittihad has firmly positioned itself in the title race, now sitting on 71 points from 30 matches. They have also secured a spot in the King’s Cup final. Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s Al Nassr dropped to fourth place with 60 points, delivering a significant blow to their title hopes.
UA / TDS
