RIYADH: Al-Nassr beat Damac 2-1 on Matchday 17 of the Saudi Pro League to keep their title hopes within reach. With Al-Hilal yet to play this round — they face Al-Fayha on Thursday — Cristiano Ronaldo’s side sit temporarily four points behind their rivals.
Al-Nassr started the match at a rapid pace. Jorge Jesus saw how Damac, despite winning just once in 15 games this campaign, proved difficult for Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad this past month. Shutting them down with an early goal was pivotal for the visitors.
Abdulrahman Ghareeb, getting his first start of the season after scoring the winner against Al-Shabab four days prior, followed up on his performance with an early goal. After receiving the ball from a cut-back in the fifth minute, he struck past Damac goalkeeper Kewin to give Al-Nassr the lead.
Ronaldo almost followed up with a second minutes later. João Félix delivered an exquisite trivela cross that was met expertly by the Portuguese talisman, only for Kewin to palm the ball away for the corner.
While Ghareeb continued to threaten between the lines with a series of through passes and line-breaking runs, it was not Félix’s most clinical outing in an Al-Nassr shirt. Kewin proved tough to beat as Damac began to grow into the game.
With Al-Nassr playing a high line, Hazza Al-Ghamdi and Snousi Al-Hawsawi managed to break through on multiple occasions down the right to receive long diagonal passes from deep. In the 7th minute, Al-Hawsawi volleyed the ball wide, before catching Bento out of his box in the 29th minute, only for his chip to drift metres wide of the open goal.
Damac threatened one last time before the end of the first half, when Bento’s double save prevented their counter-attack from deep from coming to fruition.
Al-Nassr extended their lead early in the second half, signalling what appeared to be the end of the contest for Damac. Ronaldo was found by Félix with a neat through ball in the 50th minute, as he slid the ball past Kewin for his 16th goal of the season.
The hosts refused to back down. After all, this is the stadium where defending champions Al-Ittihad have yet to win, despite seven previous visits.
In the 68th minute, Abdullah Al-Qahtani launched a corner to find Jamal Harkass, who pulled one back for Damac. This was Al-Qahtani’s third goal contribution in three games, with goals against Al-Fayha and Al-Ittihad in his last two outings contributing to a fine run of form for the Saudi winger.
The goal shifted the momentum in Damac’s favour, with the home side beating Al-Nassr in the shot count in the second half. Despite their efforts, Al-Nassr managed to quell their resurgence, seeing out a hard-fought victory in one of the toughest stadiums in the Kingdom.
Elsewhere, Al-Okhdood and Al-Riyadh played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the week’s relegation six-pointer. Higher up the table, Al-Ettifaq and NEOM were unable to break each other down, as their meeting ended in a stalemate.
Action returns for the final day of Matchday 17 on Thursday, with Al-Taawoun facing Al-Hazem at 6:15pm, before Al-Hilal host Al-Fayha at 8:30pm alongside the top-six clash between Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ittihad in the Eastern Province.
