RIYADH: Al-Nassr drew 1-1 with Al-Hilal in a tense Riyadh derby on Friday.
The hosts took a first-minute lead and managed to stay in front until 13 minutes from the end when the champions and leaders ensured that they made the short journey home with something.
Al-Nassr can at least take heart that they have ended their rivals’ perfect start to the season, while Al-Hilal move a point clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League, above Al-Ittihad in second. Al-Nassr stay in third, six points off the pace.
The yellows started well with Anderson Talisca’s goal hitting the net inside the first minute.
However, they were unable to put the visitors under enough pressure as the game went on and it was no surprise when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed home an equalizer for Al-Hilal, who had won their last 14 games in all competitions and last lost in the league back in May 2023.
Just over 50 seconds were on the clock when Al-Nassr took the lead in some style. Otavio picked up possession midway in the Al-Hilal half and his chipped pass was a thing of beauty. There was still work for Talisca to do, however. The Brazilian’s first touch took him past Ali Al-Bulaihi just inside the area and his second was a low shot beyond Yassine Bounou.
The champions were stunned but showed their resilience and almost hit back just four minutes later, Malcom breaking free down the right before the Brazilian’s shot was excellently saved at the near post by Bento.
Salem Al-Dawsari then went close twice and looked dangerous, though with Ruben Neves missing the visitors were not quite as sharp in possession.
Al-Hilal did have the ball in the net following a corner but Aleksandar Mitrovic’s close-range effort was ruled out for offside.
The same happened soon after to Talisca who shot home from a similar position to his opener, but he had just strayed too far forward before Cristiano Ronaldo made the pass.
The half ended relatively quietly, as if both teams were preparing to start the second period with a real purpose.
Al-Nassr’s Marcelo Brozovic forced a fine save from Bounou and while Talisca bundled home the rebound, he did so from an offside position.
An incredible sequence of events followed in the 63rd minute. The ball fell to Al-Dawsari and the 2022 Asian Player of the Year shaped to curl into the opposite corner, only for his shot to bounce back off the post. Renan Lodi was there for the rebound and while the defender’s shot was not the cleanest, as it bounced back up it was heading goalwards only for Bento, falling backwards, to push it past the post.
It was then Ronaldo’s turn to go close, forcing a fine save from Bounou with a powerful shot from just outside the area, but Al-Hilal, as they so often do, came up with a goal when they really needed one in the 77th minute.
Al-Dawsari’s cheeky backheel on the left side of the area freed Lodi and his looping cross made it to the far post where Milinkovic-Savic was unmarked and rose high to head the equalizer.
Soon after, they were asking for a penalty that was not given and then Al-Nassr had a breakaway but could not find the final ball in the penalty area.
It had not been a vintage Riyadh derby, but while both teams will be frustrated at not taking all three points, they will be able to take something from the game and move forward. There is still a long way to go.
