Ronaldo settles top-three clash at Al Ahli, Al Tai and Al Riyadh pick up crucial points

Ronaldo on the spot as Al Nassr get the better of Al Ahli

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his impressive goalscoring run in the Roshn Saudi League, netting from the penalty spot for Al Nassr to seize a crucial 1-0 win at Al Ahli on Friday evening.

The third-highest attendance of the RSL season – an incredible 52,037 fans -packed into King Abdullah Sports City in anticipation of the match between two of the division's top three teams. 

However, the first half of the contest was tight and tetchy, and took until the 36th minute for the first real chance to be created. Al Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez knocked in a corner for Merih Demiral to glance his header off the woodwork - painfully close from the Turkish defender.

Not to be outdone, Ronaldo thought he had fired Al Nassr ahead just before half-time when he found the back of the net from the tightest of angles. Yet the automated offside showed the Portuguese superstar had mistimed his run by a fraction of a second.

Not long into the second half, Al Ahli captain Roberto Firmino thought he broke the deadlock as he calmly side-footed home an Allan Saint-Maximin cross. Much to the former Liverpool striker’s dismay, the automated offside again denied the goal.

On 68 minutes, though, a moment of madness from Al Ahli defender Roger Ibanez handed Al Nassr the only goal of the game. The Brazilian inexplicably stuck out a boot to trip up Sami Al Naji in the area and, after a VAR review, the penalty was given.

Ronaldo stepped up to send Al Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy the wrong way. It represented the Al Nassr captain’s 22nd RSL goal of the season in as many games, maintaining his lead at the top of the 2023-24 scoring charts.

Al Ahli desperately searched for a leveller, but the hosts could not find a breakthrough in the final third when it mattered. First, Franck Kessie saw his acrobatic chance comfortably saved by Al Nassr goalkeeper David Ospina, while deep into stoppage time, substitute Fahad Al Rashidi got his head onto a Mahrez cross only for the ball to skip just wide.

The result will be a timely boost for Al Nassr after they crashed out of the AFC Champions League in midweek. The Riyadh side remain second but are now nine points ahead of third-placed Al Ahli.

Misidjan volley helps Al Tai secure crucial point against Al Ettifaq

Virgil Misidjan’s perfectly executed strike handed relegation-threatened Al Tai a point as they held in-form Al Ettifaq to a 1-1 draw on Friday night.

The hosts started confidently at the Prince Abdulaziz bin Musa’ed Stadium, and it was in the seventh minute that they crafted their first chance of note.

After keeping possession for an extended period, the ball fell to Andrei Cordea, who had plenty of time to push forward from midfield before lashing a left-footed strike inches past the post.

Just 10 minutes later, though, Al Ettifaq took the lead. Left-back Hamdan Al Shamrani drifted in a cross to the back post, inviting Cameroon international Karl Toko Ekambi to ghost in and volley the ball home from close range.

Both teams then traded chances as the first half came to a close, with the first opportunity falling to Al Tai midfielder Alfa Semedo, whose powerful header went just wide. The effort had Al Ettifaq goalkeeper Paulo Victor scrambling at his near post.

At the other end, Toko Ekambi was a constant threat in attack and soon had a perfect opportunity to double Al Ettifaq’s lead. However, the first-time strike from Moussa Dembele’s header skewed over the bar.

In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Al Tai found themselves level. Robert Bauer provided a long throw into the Al Ettifaq area, which was met with a thunderous right-footed half-volley from striker Misidjan. The sublime strike arrowed out of Victor’s reach and into the top corner.

Al Ettifaq ramped up the pressure in the second half, and could have edged ahead had right-back Radhi Al Otaibi’s volley been more accurate. Winter signing Seko Fofana also came close to finding the back of the net, but his effort was tipped around the post by Al Tai goalkeeper Moataz Al Baqaawi.

Steven Gerrard’s men, who enjoyed 62 percent possession, really should have gone in front late on when the ball fell to Dembele in the box with the goal at his mercy. Thankfully for Al Tai, defender Bauer was on hand to block the effort.

Deep into stoppage time, Al Ettifaq winger Demarai Gray was shown red following a VAR review for his challenge on Semedo. The Jamaican will now miss the marquee clash with Al Ahli once the RSL resumes later this month after the international break.

The result means Al Tai move a point from safety, while Al Ettifaq stay sixth, on 35 points.

Al Riyadh battles back for a point at Al Fayha

Knowledge Musona was in inspirational form for Al Riyadh on Friday, grabbing his fourth goal of the RSL campaign for his side to come from behind to secure a hard-earned point against Al Fayha.

Going into the game, Al Fayha had won all four of their RSL matches since returning from the winter break, and their dominance showed from the very start against Al Riyadh.

With seven minutes on the clock, Cote d'Ivoire international Ghislain Konan pushed down the left flank and picked out striker Fashion Sakala with a cross. The Zambian international seemed to rush his first-time strike, leaving Al Riyadh goalkeeper Martin Campana to palm away the shot.

Al Fayha continued to dominate possession, and on the half hour, they took the lead. A defensive header was flicked on by Abdelhamid Sabiri, Henry Onyekuru timed his run to perfection, and showed a neat turn of pace before confidently stroking the ball past Campana. It marked the Nigerian’s 10th RSL goal of the season.

Yet, seconds after the goal, Al Riyadh spurned a golden chance to level. Musona provided a dangerous free-kick into the area, which was played across the face of the goal to Andre Gray.

In theory, the Jamaican should have had a simple tap-in, however, Al Fayha midfielder Rakan Kaabi had other ideas and came up with a vital clearance at the last possible moment.

The visitors began to assert themselves in the second half, with Al Riyadh captain Musona smashing an effort from outside the box that flew just over the bar.

Not long after the hour, Al Riyadh’s danger man grabbed the goal to secure his team a share of the spoils. With the ball dangerously bobbing around in the Al Fayha area, Saleh Al Abbas backheeled into the path of Musona, whose strike flew into the net via a deflection off Abdulrahman Al Safri.

With 15 minutes remaining, Sakala thought he had headed Al Fayha into the lead, but an offside flag denied the Zambian. Both sides could claim to have deserved the point, although an act of quick thinking from Musona in the final moment could have handed Al Riyadh the win.

With both sets of players expecting a free-kick into the Al Fayha box, the Zimbabwean fooled everyone and launched a shot towards the near post. However, Musona’s shot found the side-netting.

The draw means Al Riyadh are now two points clear of the drop zone ahead of their crunch relegation showdown with Abha in Matchweek 25. Al Fayha, meanwhile, sit eighth.