Al Nassr’s long-awaited first Saudi league title since 2018-2019 was within touching distance during Tuesday’s derby against Al Hilal, only for a stunning error from goalkeeper Bento to shatter the celebrations. The match ended 1-1, but the hosts had been leading until the final play when the Brazilian netminder scored a bizarre own goal, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo visibly devastated on the bench.
The Riyadh derby started with Al Hilal looking sharp, as Karim Benzema squandered a clear one-on-one chance with Bento inside four minutes. Benzema thought he had opened the scoring in the 18th minute, but VAR ruled Sergej Milinkovic-Savic offside in the buildup. Ruben Neves anchored Al Hilal’s defense, shadowing Ronaldo and Joao Felix while blocking a dangerous shot from the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid star.
As the half progressed, tensions rose, resulting in three yellow cards within 10 minutes. Sadio Mane tried to spark Al Nassr, but a hydration break changed the game’s rhythm. A defensive mix-up from a corner allowed Mohamed Simakan to pounce on the chaos and score the opener. Shortly after, Ronaldo tried his luck from distance, but Bono made a spectacular save. In added time, Milinkovic-Savic’s error gifted Kingsley Coman the ball, but the Frenchman hit the post with the goal gaping, ignoring an unmarked Ronaldo.
Early in the second half, Ronaldo headed over from a good position and then set up Joao Felix, whose shot was blocked. The pace slowed, and injuries emerged: Brozovic limped off, while Al Hilal made a triple substitution, including taking off Benzema. With 10 minutes left, Jorge Jesus substituted Ronaldo for Al-Hamdan, earning a standing ovation as Al Nassr prepared for a crucial Asian Champions League final against Gamba Osaka on Saturday. Jesus then bolstered his defense to protect the lead.
Eight minutes of stoppage time seemed manageable, but in the very last play, a long ball into the box forced Bento to rush out, colliding with Inigo Martinez and inadvertently scoring an own goal that silenced the stadium and left Ronaldo nearly in