Late blunder robs Ronaldo of title as Al Nassr held to draw by Al Hilal
In the clash with Al Hilal that finished 1-1, Jorge Jesus team held the lead from Simakans strike and seemed set for victory, yet an odd own goal by the Brazilian goalkeeper in the dying moments ruined their hopes.
Cristiano Ronaldo had to stash his winners medal after a tense conclusion that left the Portuguese skipper clearly upset on the sidelines.
With Portugal boss Roberto Martinez watching from the crowd, the Riyadh showdown kicked off with a bolder Al Hilal pressing hard and testing Jorge Jesus men early.
Only four minutes had passed when Karim Benzema missed a golden opportunity face to face with Bento, a stark reminder of the stakes for the hosts title chase. The Frenchman thought he had scored in the 18th minute, but VAR spotted Sergej Milinkovic Savic offside in the build up, disallowing the effort and keeping the fans on edge.
On the other side, Ruben Neves was tireless at the back, marking Ronaldo and Joao Felix closely while also stopping a fierce attempt from the ex Barcelona player that was heading in.
As the game neared the 30 minute point, tensions rose with more robust challenges, prompting the official to issue three bookings in quick succession to restore order.
With the Portuguese pair neutralised, Sadio Mane attempted to ignite Al Nassr attack. Then a drinks break altered the flow completely.
Following a block on Felix pass to Ronaldo, the corner that followed allowed Mohamed Simakan to capitalise on the scramble and net the first goal.
Not long after, the skipper tested from afar, only for Bono to pull off a brilliant stop to maintain the one goal margin.
In added time at the interval, a costly slip by Milinkovic Savic handed the ball to Kingsley Coman, who struck the upright in a clear chance against the goalkeeper, bypassing the free Ronaldo nearby.
Immediately after the break, the forward blazed over from inside the area, then laid off for Felix whose effort was repelled by the backline.
As time wore on, the intensity dropped with fatigue evident: Brozovic was substituted through injury, and Al Hilal made three changes including taking off Benzema deliberately.
Ten minutes from the end, Ronaldo gave way to Al Hamdan, rousing the supporters, especially with Al Nassr facing the Asian Champions League 2 decider against Gamba Osaka on Saturday. Jorge Jesus shored up his squad to safeguard the advantage.
Despite eight minutes of stoppage time, victory appeared secure for Al Nassr until disaster struck...
In the final action, a deep delivery into the penalty area prompted Bento to rush out, only to clash with Inigo Martinez and deflect the ball into his own net in a surreal moment that stunned the crowd and almost reduced Ronaldo to tears on the bench.
The heartbreak hit hard in Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix, and Jorge Jesus watched their joy evaporate in the final seconds, keeping the Saudi title race open.
Though they controlled much of the play and Simakans strike, the keepers gaffe forces Al Nassr to delay their party, in a thrilling finish that sustains the drama in the league.
Nevertheless, Al Nassr could still lift the Saudi crown with a win over Damac in the last match on May 21st. First comes the key tie with Gamba Osaka.