Good news for Ronaldo and Al Nassr as Al Ahli suffer late shock defeat

Al Ahli suffered a shocking defeat on Friday night, a result that has opened the door for Al Nassr to extend their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League.

Al Nassr will face Al Khaleej away from home tonight, but they will be once without their injured captain Cristiano Ronaldo. At the same time, another title contender Al Hilal will also be in action away against Al Fateh, making it a crucial night in the title race.

The result that changed the dynamics of the title battle came earlier when Al Ahli threw away a two goal lead to lose 3-2 against Al Qadsiah at the Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium.

The defeat is a massive blow to Al Ahli’s title hopes. They remain two points behind, but title rivals Al Hilal and Al Nassr can take advantage with wins in their games in hand.

A tale of two halves

For the first half, Matthias Jaissle’s side looked completely in control.

Ivan Toney opened the scoring in the 27th minute. The English striker showed sharp instincts inside the box, volleying home after Al Qadsiah failed to clear the ball properly.

Al Ahli doubled their advantage just before halftime. Valentin Atangana finished off a low cross from Galeno, calmly tapping the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

With a comfortable lead and control of the midfield, the three points seemed certain for the visitors heading into the break.

The dramatic collapse

The game turned in the 63rd minute when Musab Al Juwayr scored for Al Qadsiah, finishing a move created by Christopher Bonsu Baah.

Even after conceding, Al Ahli appeared to be managing the game well as the match entered stoppage time.

But the drama was only beginning.

In the 92nd minute, substitute Turki Al Ammar found space inside the penalty area and fired past goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to make it 2- 2.

The stadium erupted and Al Qadsiah sensed an incredible opportunity.

Just minutes later, in the 98th minute, a long throw into the Al Ahli box created chaos in the defence. Ibrahim Mahnashi reacted fastest and poked the ball into the net, completing an extraordinary comeback.

Numbers tell a different story

The defeat will be even more painful for Al Ahli because the statistics suggest they created better chances.

They recorded an expected goals figure of 1.8, compared to 0.59 for Al Qadsiah.

However, Al Qadsiah’s substitutes proved decisive.

After the match, frustrated Al Ahli star Ivan Toney was also involved in a scuffle. The scenes became ugly as well.

What it means for the title race

Al Ahli remain on 62 points, missing a huge opportunity to overtake Al Nassr at the top.

With only a few matches remaining in the Saudi Pro League season, there is almost no margin for mistakes.

For Al Qadsiah, the victory strengthens their reputation as giant killers. The win also keeps them firmly in the race for a top three finish as they sit just four points behind Al Hilal.

Meanwhile, attention now turns to tonight’s matches where Al Nassr and Al Hilal will both look to take advantage of Al Ahli’s dramatic collapse.