Saudi Pro League: Al Nassr and Al Hilal Play to a Draw in Top-of-the-Table Clash

Cristiano Ronaldo Earns Yellow Card in Fiery Riyadh Derby

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - February 27, 2023

Saudi Arabia's two footballing giants, Al Nassr and Al Hilal, played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in a top-of-the-table clash at Mrsool Park in Riyadh on Thursday.

The match was billed as a battle between two of the world's most famous footballers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who recently joined Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain.

Ronaldo was making his first appearance in the Riyadh derby since joining Al Nassr in December 2022 and was eager to make an impact. He was booked in the first half for a late challenge on Al Hilal defender Ali Albulayhi.

Despite the yellow card, Ronaldo continued to be a threat to the Al Hilal defense throughout the match. He had several chances to score but was denied by some excellent saves from goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf.

Al Nassr took the lead in the 18th minute through a penalty from Brazilian forward Talisca. Al Hilal equalized in the 42nd minute through a stunning strike from Salem Al-Dawsari.

Al Hilal took the lead for the first time in the 53rd minute through a goal from Moussa Marega. Al Nassr fought back and equalized in the 64th minute through a header from substitute Abdullah Madu.

The draw leaves Al Nassr top of the Saudi Pro League standings with 43 points from 18 matches, one point ahead of Al Hilal. Al Nassr have now gone nine matches unbeaten in all competitions, while Al Hilal's unbeaten run came to an end at six matches.

The match was played in front of a sell-out crowd of over 62,000 fans and was a thrilling contest from start to finish. Both teams had chances to win the match, but in the end, a draw was a fair result.

The result means that the Riyadh derby will go down to the wire, with both teams still in contention for the league title. The two teams will meet again in the Saudi Super Cup final on March 25.