Al-Nassr strengthened their grip on the Saudi Pro League title race with a hard-fought 1-0 away victory over Al Riyadh, as Sadio Mané’s first-half finish proved decisive in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Softfootball reports.
Al Riyadh showed early intent and almost caught the visitors cold inside the opening 10 minutes when Sergio González connected with Tozé’s set-piece, only for his left-footed effort to crash against the crossbar. That scare briefly unsettled Al-Nassr, but they gradually began to impose themselves through João Félix, who was the creative heartbeat throughout the contest.
The Portuguese forward twice tested Milan Borjan from range, while Mané fired narrowly wide from close range following a corner.
The breakthrough came five minutes before the interval and was the product of Al-Nassr’s most cohesive move of the half. Félix split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, and Mané showed his composure by timing his run before drilling a low right-footed finish into the bottom corner. Al Riyadh tried to respond before the break, but were unable to turn territorial pressure into a clear opening.
The second half followed a similar script, with the hosts pushing forward but struggling to breach a well-organised Al-Nassr back line. Mohamed Simakan and Iñigo Martínez dealt confidently with a stream of crosses and set-pieces, while Al-Nassr looked dangerous on the counter. Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Félix both wasted opportunities to double the lead, and Sultan Al Ghannam went even closer when his header from a corner struck the post.
Those misses ensured a nervy finale, as Al Riyadh threw numbers forward in search of an equaliser. Late corners and a stoppage-time VAR check for a potential penalty involving Mané raised the tension, but the officials waved away appeals and Yoann Barbet’s late header drifting wide summed up the hosts’ frustration.
Al-Nassr managed the closing moments intelligently, slowing the tempo and seeing out a valuable three points. The victory comes on the back of an emphatic 3-0 away win over Al Khaood, underlining their momentum in a tightly contested title race. This latest result moves Al-Nassr a point clear of Al Hilal, who face fellow contenders Al Ahli later today.
After the game ended, Al Nassr via its official X handle, shared the full time image confirming its win over Al Riyadh today. They posted:
However, Al Hilal still hold the psychological edge after winning the first meeting between the sides this season 3-1. With just two points separating the title rivals, the race looks set to go down to the wire, and their second head-to-head clash could yet prove decisive in determining who lifts the trophy.
