According to international media, Ronaldo is absent from this away trip due to tensions related to his future and transfer issues. In addition to the Portuguese superstar, Al-Nassr also lacks some other key players, putting the yellow shirt team under no small pressure before kick-off.
However, Al-Nassr was still the team that controlled the game. Right at the beginning of the match, the away team almost conceded a goal when Sergio Gonzalez on Al-Riyadh's side launched a shot that hit the crossbar. After escaping defeat, Al-Nassr gradually regained the initiative thanks to the flexibility of Joao Felix and Sadio Mane in attack.
The turning point of the match came in the 40th minute. From Joao Felix's delicate handling in front of the penalty area, Sadio Mane rushed down in the right rhythm and finished neatly, opening the score for Al-Nassr. This was also the only goal scored in the first half.
In the second half, Al-Riyadh was forced to push up the squad to find an equalizer, creating some notable finishing situations but could not overcome the solid defense of the away team. In the opposite direction, Al-Nassr had more opportunities to double the gap, but Mane and his teammates did not take advantage of it successfully. At the end of the match, the home team only played with 10 players after Toze received a red card in injury time.
In the end, Al-Nassr won 1-0 against Al-Riyadh. This result helps coach Jorge Jesus's team have the same 46 points as Al Hilal, but temporarily top the rankings thanks to a better goal difference. However, Al-Hilal still has one unmatched match in hand, making the Saudi Pro League championship race continue to be fierce.
