Ronaldo's Al-Nassr lose to Al-Ittihad in Saudi Pro League
The crushing loss drops Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr down to fourth in the Saudi league ladder, 11 points behind Al-Ittihad in the title race.
Houssem Aouar scored a last-minute goal to help Al-Ittihad complete a comeback and secure a 3-2 win over Al-Nassr, taking them a step closer to clinching the Saudi Pro League title.
Sadio Mane opened the scoring on Wednesday for the home side after three minutes with a low strike.
The Senegal international then assisted Ayman Yahya to make it 2-0 for Al-Nassr in the 37th minute. The goal stood following a VAR review, even though the ball had touched Mane's hand in the build-up.
Al-Ittihad were the better side after the interval and Karim Benzema reduced the deficit with a header in the 49th minute.
Laurent Blanc's side equalised after a counterattack, finished off by N'Golo Kante, who slotted the ball into Al-Nassr's net.
Algeria international Aouar scored the game-winner for Al-Ittihad in added time from close range following a cross by Moussa Diaby.
Al-Ittihad, who can clinch the domestic double after reaching the King Cup final, extended their lead to 71 points, six ahead of Al-Hilal, with four games remaining.
Advertisement
For Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr, now fourth with 60 points, the loss was a setback to their hopes of reaching the AFC Champions League elite next season, with only two teams qualifying from the league after Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won the continental title last Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
LIVE: Germany vs Portugal – UEFA Nations League semifinal
Hosts Germany entertain Portugal in the first semifinal of the 2025 UEFA Nations match at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, kicks off at 9pm (19:00 GMT).Germany beat Italy 5-4 in their quarterfinal over two who finished top of Group 1, beat Denmark 5-3 on aggregate in their last-eight Spain face 2021 champions France in the second semifinal on up to date: Follow Al Jazeera Sport on our website and on X for the latest news, features and live events from around the world. Update: Date: 9m ago (15:00 GMT) Title: Welcome to our live coverage Content: Hello, welcome and thanks for joining our live coverage of Germany against Portugal. UEFA's Nations League is bubbling to a belting finish with Spain and France competing in Thursday's second semifinal. First up in Munich, however, is the host nation against the team still punching above their weight on both the European global stage. That is mainly thanks to one of the greatest of all time – if not the greatest – Cristiano Ronaldo, who is still leading the line on both the international and domestic stage. I'm Kevin Hand and I'll take you through the live build-up, as well as bringing you the photo coverage of the day. Patrick Keddie will bring you the team news as it drops, as well as our comprehensive text commentary stream. So stick with us for all the talking points, analysis and the action itself.
Qatar Tribune
19 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar win Stage 6 as FIBA U23 3x3 Nations League – Asia-Pacific concludes
Tribune News Network Doha The Qatar men's national basketball team triumphed in Stage 6 of the FIBA U23 3x3 Nations League - Asia-Pacific which concluded on Tuesday at the Federation Hall at Al Gharafa. Besides hosts Qatar, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Chinese Taipei were part of the tournament with six teams competing in each category. Qatar men's team secured the championship with a thrilling 17-14 victory in the final over New Zealand, marking a remarkable journey through the tournament, having previously defeated Chinese Taipei (21-9) and Indonesia (21-14) in the initial round. The accomplishment took Qatar team's score to 520 points, achieved by winning the third and sixth rounds and finishing second in the first, second, and fourth rounds. This progress brings the team closer to qualifying for the World Championships, which are set to take place in Xiong'an, China, from September 17 to 21, while other continental qualifiers await the conclusion of their respective qualifying rounds. New Zealand secured second place in the sixth round after reaching the final by overcoming the Philippines (18-16) and Singapore (21-19). The Kiwis accumulated 560 points, having won the first, second, fourth, and fifth rounds, while finishing second in the third and sixth rounds. The Philippines claimed third place with 420 points, followed by Singapore with 325 points, Chinese Taipei with 305 points, and Indonesia with 300 points. The Qatar men's national team comprised Hamad Yassin Ismail Musa, Zeineddine Badri, Nizar Mahmoud, Ahmed Saeed Mohammed, and Mubarak Jama. In the women's competition, New Zealand secured victory in the sixth round by defeating Chinese Taipei in the final 21-19, taking their total points to 480, placing them in second position. The Philippines led the overall standings with 530 points, while Chinese Taipei followed in third place with 480 points, Singapore ranked fourth with 360 points, Indonesia was fifth with 310 points, and the Qatari national team rounded out the standings in sixth place with 270 points. The tournament was graced by the presence ofMohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb, President of Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF); His Excellency Timmy Davis, Ambassador of the United States of America to the State of Qatar; Captain Yassin Ismail, Director of the 3x3 Committee at the Federation; Talal Saad Al Mughaiseeb, Tournament Director; along with several officials and guests of the tournament. At the conclusion of the event, Al Mughaiseeb and His Excellency the US Ambassador presented the champions of the sixth stage, the Qatar men's and New Zealand women's national teams, with their awards. Additionally, the New Zealand men's and Philippines women's national teams were recognized for their achievements in leading the overall standings and officially qualifying for the World Championship. QBF President Mohammed bin Saad Al Mughaiseeb, remarked: 'We take great pride in the exceptional performance of our national youth team, which exemplifies the ongoing efforts and strategy implemented by the Association to enhance the 3x3 game at the youth level.' He added: 'Winning this stage of the Nations League amid strong competition confirms that Qatar has a rising generation of basketball talent, and hosting the tournament at this distinguished level further enhances Qatar's position as a regional and international sports hub.' Al Mughaiseeb concluded his statement by saying: 'We aspire for more, and we will continue to support our players to ensure that Qatar is honorably represented in upcoming tournaments.' Special tribute to US Ambassador In a gesture that reflects the deep sporting and diplomatic relations between the two countries,the QBF President honoured His Excellency Ambassador Timmy Davis in appreciation of his presence and continued support for sporting events, and his role in strengthening sports cooperation between Qatar and the United States.
Al Jazeera
20 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Man Utd's Fernandes confirms he has rejected Saudi Pro League move
Bruno Fernandes has confirmed he rejected a huge offer from Saudi Arabia and chose instead to stay at Manchester United, saying he wanted to 'continue to play at the highest level'. Speaking to media in a Portugal camp ahead of Wednesday's Nations League semifinal against Germany in Munich, the football midfielder confirmed he received an 'exciting offer' from Al-Hilal but wanted to be part of manager Ruben Amorim's rebuild at Old Trafford. Reports said Al-Hilal were willing to pay United up to 100 million British pounds ($135m) for the 30-year-old Portugal international. 'The president of Al-Hilal called me and asked me if I wanted to move there,' Fernandes confirmed, saying the club 'waited for me to think about my future'. 'I talked to the gaffer and he asked me not to go,' Fernandes revealed, adding: 'Man United said they didn't want to sell me. 'They said if I wanted to go, I could, but they didn't need the money.' The player said a transfer would have been 'easy' with several Portuguese players already in Saudi Arabia, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves, but added: 'I want to play at the highest possible level. 'I want to play major competitions. I know I still can, and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most. 'For better or worse, this is how I see football and I'm passionate about football and this is the decision I've made.' United endured their worst finish of the Premier League era, finishing 15th. They also lost the Europa League final to Tottenham. United captain Fernandes was one of the few players to emerge with credit from a disastrous season, scoring 19 goals and making 19 assists across all competitions. Former United captain Gary Neville, now a Sky Sports pundit, said the development was 'significant'. 'I think that there was an element of this situation that meant United getting that level of money, for someone of Bruno's age, obviously, you couldn't say that it would have been a bad deal,' he said. 'But, on the other hand, Manchester United's star player – only player, at times – for the last four, five, six years, has been Bruno Fernandes. He's so important.' Neville added: 'To turn that money down at a point where Manchester United are at their lowest ebb and say, 'No, I want to fight through this, I want to see it through the other side, I want to come out and achieve things,' I think it says a lot about him as a person, as a character. 'The club needs people who are going to run through a brick wall for them.' United are expected to be busy in the transfer market as Amorim reshapes his under-performing squad. The club have already signed Brazil forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves and are being heavily linked with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo. Departures could include Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. Fernandes has made 290 appearances and scored 98 goals for United since his 47 million pounds ($63m) move from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.
