Cristiano Ronaldo helps Al Nassr close in on Al Hilal after hard-fought Abha win

Al Nassr moved level on points with Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal after Cristiano Ronaldo helped them beat Abha 2-1 at Al-Awwal Park on Wednesday.

The victory lifted Al Nassr to 15 points from six matches, leaving them second in the Roshn Saudi League standings and behind Al Hilal only on goal difference. Al Hilal had opened the door for their local rivals by losing 2-1 to Neom on Monday.

Ronaldo put Al Nassr ahead after 22 minutes, meeting a cross from Brazilian Angelo, delivered from a corner, with a powerful header that found the net.

The goal continued the Portuguese forward’s influence for Al Nassr, who were looking to respond after suffering their first defeat of the season in their previous league match. They lost 2-1 to Al Ittihad on Saturday in the fifth round.

Al Nassr doubled their advantage 13 minutes into the second half. Abdullah Al-Hamdan reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the Abha penalty area after the visitors’ defence had failed to clear, directing the rebound into the goal.

That second strike appeared to put the hosts in control, but Abha were given renewed hope when former France international Nabil Fekir produced a surprise finish from a free-kick in the 75th minute.

Fekir’s effort reduced the deficit and made the final quarter of the match increasingly tense. Abha pushed forward in search of a late equaliser and created several opportunities to snatch a point, but Al Nassr held on to secure a narrow victory.

The result represented a return to winning form for Al Nassr and kept them firmly involved in the early title race. Their 15-point total matches that of Al Hilal, although the latter remain top because of their superior goal difference.

Abha’s difficult start continued. The defeat was their fifth in the current Roshn Saudi League campaign, leaving them with only one point and at the bottom of the table in 18th place.

The match also produced three notable scoring moments: Ronaldo’s opening header, Al-Hamdan’s close-range finish for Al Nassr’s second, and Fekir’s free-kick for Abha.

Both clubs will now look to improve their respective positions in the next stages of the league season, with Al Nassr aiming to maintain pressure on Al Hilal and Abha facing an uphill battle to move away from the relegation places.