CR7 has to wait: Al-Nassr keeper's 98th-minute blunder delays Cristiano's maiden Saudi title!

He’s been waiting for three years. Three years of laughter and belittling of those who don’t like him. And he thought his moment had finally come, but alas… He’ll have to wait a little bit more.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr were on the verge of winning the title, the club’s first since 2019 and the Portuguese’s maiden major trophy since he joined the Saudi giants in 2023.

They were up since the 37th minute, when Mohamed Simakan broke the deadlock and paved the way for his team’s vital triumph.

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During the much more exciting first half, each side had its chances. Karim Benzema wasted a colossal point-blank opportunity and had an opener disallowed, while Kingsley Coman hit the post.

After the break, the visitors lost strength in pursuing at least an equalizer, as Jorge Jesus’ team skillfully maintained the lead and awaited the final seconds with the trophy in their hands. And then - a tragedy!

The, until that moment fantastic, keeper Bento, dropped the ball after Al Hilal’s last throw-in, scoring an own goal and keeping the visitors' hope of snatching the title alive!

Al-Nassr still have their fate in their own hands, as a win in the final league game against Damac guarantees their ultimate triumph, but can they recover after such a shock? Everything was ready for an epic celebration, and suddenly, as if someone slapped them in the face, they had to settle for only a draw and wait for the next chance to seal the deal.

Sometimes, it can have a highly detrimental effect on the team. It’s up to Ronaldo and Co. to lift the spirits, now.

Given the importance of this potential title decider, it's no wonder the referee, Donatas Rumsas from Lithuania, showed as many as three yellow cards in the opening half an hour, all for harsh tackles.

Karim Benzema could have stunned the packed King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh only four minutes into the game, but the Frenchman wasted a colossal chance, as the home team's custodian Bento pulled off a point-blank save.

In the 16th minute, Al-Nassr threatened through Joao Felix, whose effort, following Sadio Mane's exceptional solo run, Ruben Neves blocked at the crucial moment.

Two minutes later, Benzema found the net, but his goal was ruled out for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's offside.

The key moment of the first period occurred in eight minutes before the break, when Al-Nassr defender Mohamed Simakan broke the deadlock following a scramble in Al Hilal's box following a corner kick.

As if the 26-year-old's opener stunned the visitors, they made a series of errors until the break, allowing the rivals two opportunities to double the lead.

Still, Yassine Bounou skillfully stopped Cristiano Ronaldo's long-range effort, while Kingsley Coman hit the post in a one-on-one situation with the Moroccan keeper in added time.

Less than a minute into the second half, CR7 wasted a fantastic opportunity, firing the ball over the bar from inside the box. That Portuguese's effort was the only notable moment after the break until the 79th minute, when Bounou denied Felix's strike from the right-hand side. Simply, the tension on the pitch kept rising and the quality of the game kept dropping, as the end of the match approached.

Twenty minutes before the end, Al Hilal boss Simone Inzaghi subbed off Benzema, who seemed to have felt pain in his hamstring, sending in the scorer of 13 league goals this season, Marco Leonardo, as one of his last resorts.

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In the 83rd minute, Ronaldo left the pitch as well, trying to lift the crowd and his teammates to hold on a little longer and clinch the vital victory. Unfortunately, they failed, conceding one of the most ridiculous goal of the season in the last seconds of the game!

Al Hilal took a throw in and, until that moment fantastic, Bento collided with his defender Inigo Martinez, dropped the ball and let her go into the net, for a complete shock in Ryadh!

Ronaldo and Al-Nassr's celebration is delayed, but is it ruined altogether? The final league match against Damac in nine days will tell, as Al Hilal have a game in hand and have to win both their remaining clashes, hoping for the Royal One's failure.

It doesn't get more exciting than this!