Al-Hilal wins Saudi Cup beating Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr
JEDDAH: In a thrilling encounter at King Abdullah Sports City on Friday, Al-Hilal emerged victorious over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in a 5-4 penalty shootout, clinching the Saudi Cup and securing a domestic double. The gripping finale left Ronaldo in tears as Al-Hilal’s goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, became the hero by saving Al-Nassr’s final two penalties.
The match, watched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was an intense battle between the two top teams of the Saudi Pro League. Al-Hilal, the league champions for the 19th time under coach Jorge Jesus, took an early lead when Aleksandar Mitrovic headed in Malcom’s cross just seven minutes into the game.
Despite Al-Hilal’s initial advantage, the match remained competitive. Ronaldo nearly leveled the score with a spectacular bicycle kick that struck the post, though he was offside. Al-Nassr faced a setback when their goalkeeper, David Ospina, was sent off for handling the ball outside the box in the 56th minute. This forced coach Luis Castro to substitute forward Sadio Mane with keeper Walid Abdullah.
Even with ten men, Al-Nassr pressed on. Ronaldo’s powerful free kick was saved by Bounou, keeping Al-Hilal’s lead intact. The drama intensified as Al Hilal’s Ali Al-Bulayhi received two yellow cards within ten seconds for violent conduct in the 87th minute, reducing them to ten men. Al-Nassr capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Ayman Yahya scoring a last-gasp equalizer to force extra time.
The tension escalated in extra time when Al-Hilal was further reduced to nine men after Kalidou Koulibaly’s second booking. Despite being two men down, Al-Hilal managed to hold on, pushing the game to a penalty shootout.
In the decisive shootout, both Mitrovic and Ronaldo converted their penalties. However, Bounou’s heroics in goal, saving Al-Nassr’s final two attempts, sealed Al-Hilal’s triumph. The victory was a bitter pill for Ronaldo, who is still searching for his first title in Saudi Arabia, as he was overcome with emotion at the end of the match.
