Ronaldo's Team Stopped the Unbeatable Al Hilal, Breaking Their Winning Streak

And Cristiano himself will score his 908th goal in another match.

In early November, Al Nassr faced off against Al Hilal in the biggest rivalry in Saudi Arabia: Ronaldo vs. Malcolm. Al Hilal, the reigning champions, had secured the title with a significant lead over Al Nassr. This season, Al Hilal, featuring Neymar, started perfectly. They had only victories across all competitions — the Saudi Pro League, the Saudi Super Cup, the AFC Champions League, and the King's Cup.

Al Nassr's season has been less smooth. In the league, Ronaldo's team had three draws in eight matches and were knocked out of the King’s Cup after losing 0-1 to Al Taawoun in the round of 16. Before this game, Al Nassr stood third in the league, trailing Al Hilal and Al Ittihad in points.

The match began with Al Nassr scoring in the very first minute. A quick attack saw Otávio send a cross into the box for Talisca, and the Brazilian expertly navigated Al Hilal's defense to make it 1-0. Ronaldo's team tried to extend their lead, but Al Hilal held firm, preventing further goals.

Gradually, Al Hilal pushed the game away from their goal, and in the 38th minute, they found the net. The league's top scorer, Aleksandar Mitrović, scored, but an apparent offside call ruled it out. Shortly after, Talisca scored again for Al Nassr, going one-on-one with the keeper, but this too was disallowed for offside.

The second half began with more drama: Talisca again found the net, but once more, he was offside. Al Hilal looked determined to equalize. In the 64th minute, Salem Al-Dawsari hit the post, followed by a brilliant acrobatic backheel attempt from Mohamed Kanno. Finally, Malcom's shot narrowly missed the far corner.

Finally, in the 77th minute, Al Hilal scored a legitimate goal. Al-Dawsari, on the left wing, executed a beautiful backheel pass to Lodi, who crossed it to Sergej Milinković-Savić on the far post. The Serbian headed it home to make it 1-1. The match ended in a draw, marking Al Hilal’s first non-win of the season. Ronaldo will score his 908th goal in another game.

Published by Patrick Jane
02.11.2024