Al Hilal are now just two points behind Ronaldo’s Al Nassr as Saudi title race heats up

Al Hilal finished the year on a high note after a 3-1 victory over Al Khollod on New Year’s Eve, a result that has tightened the Saudi Pro League title race. The win means Al Hilal are now just two points behind leaders Al Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo continues to lead the title charge. However, Ronaldo’s side dropped points against Ettifaq on Tuesday, allowing Al Hilal to close the gap at the top of the table.

The result also lifted Al Hilal above Al Taawoun and into second place, taking their tally to 29 points from 11 matches. They struck first just before halftime when Sergej Milinkovic Savic opened the scoring, but there was still time in stoppage time for Ramiro Enrique to level the match from the penalty spot.

After the break, Theo Hernandez stepped up with two second half goals to seal an important win and keep the pressure firmly on Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the title race.

Earlier in the day, reigning champions Al Ittihad enjoyed a much needed boost as they defeated Neom 3-1 away from home. It has been a challenging title defense so far, but this result lifted them to sixth place and offered a positive end to the year.

Roger Fernandes put Neom ahead in the 14th minute after being set up by Steven Bergwijn, but Said Benrahma equalized 13 minutes later to send both teams into halftime on level terms. In the second half, Bergwijn restored Al Ittihad’s lead before Ahmed Al Ghamdi wrapped up the win.

In the other Wednesday fixture, Al Qadsiah edged a thrilling encounter against Al Shabab, winning 3-2 away from home to strengthen their position in the upper half of the table.

Inzaghi's Al Hilal are gaining real momentum, and Al Nassr dropping their first points of the season has made the title race even more exciting. Cristiano Ronaldo is chasing his first Saudi Pro League crown, but Al Hilal are right behind them and they are the fiercest rivals Nassr could have at the top. The second half of the season promises to be dramatic, and fans are already curious to see whether both teams will strengthen their squads in the January transfer window.