An early goal by Cristiano Ronaldo was not enough as Al Nassr conceded three in the second half in a 3-1 loss to Saudi Pro League leaders Al Hilal on Monday.
Ronaldo’s first-half goal had given second-placed Al Nassr hope of pegging back Al Hilal’s lead in the table, but two penalties by Salem Al-Dawsari and Rúben Neves either side of an exquisite finish from Mohamed Kanno gave the hosts the win and a seven-point lead over their Riyadh rivals.
The game turned in large part on a reckless challenge by Al Nassr keeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi in the 60th minute that earned him a straight red card and left the visitors to play the rest of the second half with 10 players.
Kanno’s clever flick from a pinpoint cross from the left and Neves’ penalty in second-half stoppage time saw Al Hilal pull away after Al-Aqidi’s red card and seal the win for Simone Inzaghi’s side.
