Al Nassr and Al Khaleej faced off in an emotionally charged match that saw a Cristiano Ronaldo goal ruled out, costing the former crucial ground in the title race.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of lifting the Saudi Pro League trophy this season took a hit after Al Khaleej held Al Nassr to a 1-1 draw on Monday evening.
It took Al Khaleej just four minutes to break the deadlock. Andrew Eric Feitosa’s reverse pass cut through the home defense to reach Fabio Martins, who then cooly slot the ball past goalkeeper Agustin Rossi to put the away side in front.
However, Al Nassr equalized 12 minutes later, when Alvaro Gonzalez headed in Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s free-kick. It was the Spanish defender’s first goal for the club.
CR7 goal ruled out as hosts drop valuable points
In the second half, Ronaldo thought he scored a 58th-minute winner. The striker buried a loose ball, but the referee ruled it out for offside. The decision forced CR7 to end up goalless for the third time in four matches.
The Al Nassr captain, along with Talisca, gave his all to put the Knights of Najd in front afterward, but Marwan Al-Haidari’s impressive showing in the Al Khaleej goal forced the duo to settle for a disappointing 1-1 draw.
The stalemate drops Al Nassr five points behind Saudi Pro League leaders Ittihad, who defeated Abha 4-0 on the same day, in second place, with four games remaining. They will next visit Al-Ta’ee on May 16.