One of the most anticipated clashes in the 14th round of the Saudi Arabian Pro League took place in Riyadh. "An Nasr" hosted "Al-Qadisiya" at their home ground, but left the field defeated at the end of the match - 1:2.
Interestingly, for "An Nasr," this is not a simple defeat against the opponent: the Riyadh team lost to "Al-Qadisiya" for the fourth consecutive game. We can say that such a series is a special "test" to test the fans' nerves.
The score was opened in the second half. In the 51st minute, Kinones put Al-Qadisiya ahead. Following this goal, An Nasr attempted to re-enter the game, but in the 67th minute, Nandez extended the lead to 2-0, making the situation even more favorable for the visitors.
Nevertheless, the intrigue persisted until the end. In the 81st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to reduce the deficit. This goal became the 958th in the Portuguese superstar's career - if the numbers speak, Ronaldo's mood "doesn't obey anyone."
However, Ronaldo's goal wasn't enough for the comeback either. Al-Nassr increased pressure in the final minutes, made substitutions, increased speed, but Al-Qadisiya, acting sufficiently correctly in defense, kept the victory.
This defeat further worsened An Nasr's situation in recent games: the team had accumulated only 1 point in the last 3 games. Despite this, they are still in 2nd place with 31 points, but now they are 4 points behind the leaders "Al-Hilal." In short, in the championship race, you can say "there's still time," but "time" will one day eat away at the nerves too.
Al-Qadisiya, led by Brendan Rodgers, moved up to 4th place with this victory, reaching 27 points. For them, this is not just three points, but also a psychological advantage: the series against "An Nasr" continues.
Saudi Pro League. Round 14
"An Nasr" - "Al Kadisiya" 1:2
January 8, King Saud University Stadium
Goals: Ronaldo (81, penalty) - Canones (51), Nandez (67).
An Nasr: Al Aqidi, Al Ghannam, Al Amri, Martinez, Ayman (Nasir, 74), Coman, Al Khaybari (Al Hassan, 90+5), Brozovic (Gharib, 90+5), Angelo (Wesley, 74), Felix, Ronaldo.
Al-Qadisiya: Castells (Al Kassar, 65), Ash Shamat, Takri, Nacho, Alvarez, Hazazi, Nandez (Mahnashi, 90+5), Weigl, Bonsu (Ash Shahroni, 87), Retegi, Kinones.
Yellow cards: Nacho (39), Angelo (59), Bonso (69), Alvarez (70), Nandez (79), Brozovic (85), Hazazi (87).
The conclusion is this: in "An Nasr," the names are big, the goals are big, but the game's stability is "so far small." And the fans need one thing: in the next round, the team should ease this pressure with a victory - otherwise, the championship race could turn into a meme.
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