Al Hilal delay Al Nassr’s title celebrations with dramatic and bizarre late equalizer

Al Hilal postponed Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League title celebrations after snatching a dramatic 1-1 draw in the Riyadh derby at Al Awwal Park on Matchday 32.

Al Nassr appeared to be on course to secure the 11th league title in their history after protecting their lead deep into stoppage time, only for the entire atmosphere to change following a catastrophic mistake from Brazilian goalkeeper Bento, who failed to deal with a harmless ball and accidentally turned it into his own net, gifting Al Hilal a dramatic equalizer and denying his side an early championship celebration.

The result left Al Nassr supporters stunned, particularly given how close the team had come to officially ending the title race in front of a huge crowd and under intense anticipation, with Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo hoping to guide the club to another major trophy in Saudi football.

French defender Mohamed Simakan had given Al Nassr the lead after putting his side ahead in a tense and cautious encounter, before the dramatic equalizer arrived in the eighth minute of stoppage time to completely reshape the title race.

Despite the setback, Al Nassr still remain in a relatively strong position, leading Al Hilal by five points, although their rivals still have two matches in hand. The “Al Alami” side will simply need to defeat Damac in their final league match to officially secure the title regardless of Al Hilal’s remaining results against NEOM and Al Fayha.

However, the draw handed Al Hilal a major psychological boost and kept the title battle alive until the final round after it had appeared to be heading firmly toward an early Al Nassr triumph.

Al Nassr will play their decisive final league match on May 21, only days after hosting Japanese side Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final — placing enormous pressure on the team as they attempt to balance continental glory with domestic success.

The club had hoped to settle everything during the derby to avoid complications heading into the final stage of the campaign, especially since their upcoming opponents Damac are themselves battling relegation, currently sitting just above the drop zone on goal difference ahead of 16th-placed Al Riyadh.

Despite the disappointment of the draw, Al Nassr showed strong character for most of the match and succeeded in limiting Al Hilal’s attacking threat for long periods. Yet, as is often the case in major matches, the smallest details proved decisive in the end.

As for Al Hilal, they left with a valuable point that felt almost like a victory after refusing to give up until the final seconds, once again demonstrating their ability to fight back under pressure and reigniting the title race heading into the closing moments of the season.