NEW DELHI: Al-Nassr faced a setback as their captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, was sent off late in the game in a heated clash between city rivals, resulting in a 2-1 defeat against Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final held in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The turning point came in the 86th minute when Portugal’s record scorer received a straight red card for elbowing an opponent, leaving his side with a daunting task of clawing back from a 2-0 deficit.
Despite managing to score a late consolation goal, Al-Nassr fell short against their resilient opponents.
Jorge Jesus’ Al-Hilal seized the initiative in the 62nd minute when Salem Al-Dawsari found the back of the net, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom right corner after a swift counterattack initiated by a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic flick.
The lead was further extended in the 72nd minute, courtesy of Brazilian forward Malcolm’s well-timed header. Michael’s precise cross from the right flank located Malcolm unmarked in the center of the box, allowing him to capitalize on the opportunity and double Al-Hilal’s advantage.
Despite the mounting pressure, Al-Nassr managed to pull one back in stoppage time, with former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane converting Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s pass into a goal.
With this victory, Al-Hilal advances to the final with their sights set on clinching a record-extending fourth Saudi Super Cup title. They will face off against Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad in what promises to be a thrilling encounter on Thursday.
Al-Ittihad secured their spot in the final by defeating Al-Wehda 2-1 in the earlier semifinal clash held on Monday.
Agencies

Agencies