Al-Ittihad Defeat Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr In Saudi Pro League

The crushing loss drops Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr down to fourth in the Saudi league ladder, 11 points behind Al-Ittihad in the title race.

Houssem Aouar scored a last-minute goal to help Al-Ittihad complete a comeback and secure a 3-2 win over Al-Nassr, taking them a step closer to clinching the Saudi Pro League title.

Sadio Mane opened the scoring on Wednesday for the home side after three minutes with a low strike.

The Senegal international then assisted Ayman Yahya to make it 2-0 for Al-Nassr in the 37th minute. The goal stood following a VAR review, even though the ball had touched Mane’s hand in the build-up.

Al-Ittihad were the better side after the interval and Karim Benzema reduced the deficit with a header in the 49th minute.

Laurent Blanc’s side equalised after a counterattack, finished off by N’Golo Kante, who slotted the ball into Al-Nassr’s net.

Algeria international Aouar scored the game-winner for Al-Ittihad in added time from close range following a cross by Moussa Diaby.

Al-Ittihad, who can clinch the domestic double after reaching the King Cup final, extended their lead to 71 points, six ahead of Al-Hilal, with four games remaining.

For Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, now fourth with 60 points, the loss was a setback to their hopes of reaching the AFC Champions League elite next season, with only two teams qualifying from the league after Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won the continental title last Saturday.

Aljazeera.com