Ronaldo secures victory for Al-Nassr in the Riyadh Derby.

- Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Al-Nassr to a 3-1 win over Al-Hilal, boosting their slim title hopes and ending a three-year Riyadh derby winless streak.

RIYADH April 5, 2025: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to lead Al-Nassr to a 3-1 victory over Al-Hilal on Friday, marking their first Riyadh derby win in the Saudi Pro League in over three years.

The victory also dealt a significant blow to Al-Hilal's title hopes, leaving them four points behind Al-Ittihad at the top of the table, with one more game played.

Al-Nassr's win kept their slim championship chances alive, as they now sit seven points behind the leaders with eight games remaining in the season.

The match was a fierce contest, as is typical in one of Asia’s biggest football rivalries, but Al-Nassr deserved the win. While Ronaldo’s performance grabbed the headlines, the opening goal, scored deep into added time at the end of the first half, was a brilliant strike. Marcelo Brozovic took a corner, rolled it to the edge of the area, and with the defense caught off guard, Ali Al-Hassan curled a perfect shot into the top corner to give Al-Nassr the lead.

Two minutes after the break, Ronaldo doubled the lead with his 20th league goal of the season, capitalizing on a pullback from Sadio Mane to score inside the area.

The Al-Nassr fans, who had not seen a win in this fixture for six league matches, erupted in celebration. However, just after the hour, Al-Hilal pulled one back when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed a corner to Ali Al-Bulaihi, who finished from close range.

Al-Hilal continued to push for an equalizer, but with three minutes remaining, Ronaldo sealed the win for Al-Nassr. A handball in the box led to a penalty, which the 40-year-old converted straight down the middle of the goal.

All eyes now turn to the Jeddah derby on Saturday, where fans will be eager to see if Al-Ittihad can defeat Al-Ahli and move seven points clear at the top of the table.