Staff Reporter.
@Cristiano.
Franck Kessie looked to have won all three points for Al-Ahli with a wonderful effort from the outside of the box after 57 minutes, but Al-Nassr’s pressure was rewarded late on when Al-Hurayji diverted Sultan Alghannam’s cross into his own net.
The home side started the match well, with Sadio Mane seeing an early effort cleared off the line and Marcelo Brozovic testing Edouard Mendy from distance, but it was unable to find a way through in the first half.
Kessie had gone close just after the break, dragging his shot wide of the far post, but he was not to be denied a second time. He met a pullback on the edge of the box, opening his foot to send a wonderful effort into the top-left corner.
But Cristiano Ronaldo’s side kept probing, with Talisca deflecting a shot wide of the far post before it eventually got on the scoresheet thanks to Al-Hurayji’s attempted block.
After scoring in the closing stages, with a bit of luck, Al-Nassr has now scored in its past 22 Saudi Pro League matches, a feat which has not been achieved since March to December 2017, with the final match in that sequence also being against Al-Ahli.
Furthermore, it is now unbeaten in its past six matches against Al-Ahli, which equals the longest unbeaten streak in the fixture – its opponent once went six games unbeaten between 2011 and 2013, winning three and drawing three.