Al-Nassr overcame a bizarre penalty miss by captain Cristiano Ronaldo to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over NEOM, maintaining their push for the Saudi Pro League top spot.
Al-Awwal Park hosted the encounter on Tuesday evening for the tenth matchday, in a test where the home side had to wait until the second half to break the deadlock after squandering a chance to take the lead before the break.
The defining moment arrived in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time when Ronaldo stepped up to take a penalty, only to send his effort completely off target, wasting the opportunity to hand his team the advantage and leaving the first half goalless.
João Félix took charge after the hour mark, scoring the match’s only goal following an assist from Ângelo. His strike made amends for his compatriot’s miss and handed Al-Nassr three precious points, with the side holding onto their lead until the final whistle.
The statistics reflected Al-Nassr’s dominance, as they controlled 59% of possession and registered 17 shots compared to NEOM’s seven attempts. However, that control failed to translate into a comfortable victory, keeping the contest tight until the closing minutes.
The win lifted Al-Nassr’s tally to 22 points in third place from nine matches, recorded through seven wins, one draw, and one defeat, with 20 goals scored and seven conceded. They remain two points behind second-placed Al-Hilal and three behind leaders Al-Qadsiah, who have played ten games, while NEOM remained on 16 points in sixth place.
At the same time, Al-Ittihad secured a convincing 4-1 victory over Al-Ettifaq, with George Ilenikhena and Houssem Aouar finding the net alongside a brace from Youssef En-Nesyri, while Sultan Haroon scored the lone goal for the hosts. With this result, Al-Ittihad reached 20 points in fourth place, preserving the two-point gap behind Al-Nassr.
Al-Nassr now await a new away test against Al-Faisaly on Friday, October 23, for the eleventh matchday, seeking to build on their winning momentum and close the gap on top spot before returning to continental action.
The team will host UAE side Al-Wasl on Monday, October 26, in the AFC Champions League Elite, before facing Al-Kholood domestically on October 29, in a congested run of fixtures requiring consistent results while managing squad rotation across the league and Asian competition.
