Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr have seen their Saudi Pro League title chances dented by a 1-1 draw at home to Al-Khaleej while league leaders Al-Ittihad extended their margin after thrashing Abha 4-0.

Al-Nassr’s title hopes are now in serious doubt, as they trail Al-Ittihad by five points. Despite the setback, Al-Nassr will still have a chance to close the gap in the remaining matches of the season.

Al-Khaleej, the away team, got off to a flying start, scoring in the fourth minute to put Al-Nassr behind in the match held at Al-Awwal Park stadium in Riyadh. Al-Khaleej took the lead with a header from Fabio Martins. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, responded quickly and equalized with a goal from its Spanish center-back Alvaro Gonzalez in the 17th minute.

However, what followed was the lackluster performance by Al-Nassr. The home team’s poor performance, which failed to capitalize on a missed opportunity, led to a slump against the 14th-ranked relegation-haunted team. Both Ronaldo and Talisca had chances to force the home side in front after the restart, but Al-Khaleej goalkeeper Marwan Al-Haidari produced a string of key saves to deny the pair.

Al-Nassr, who won only once in the last four matches, remain in the second position with 57 points in 26 games, five points less than Al-Ittihad. The Jeddah club are still in the driver’s seat with points and four games left to play. Al-Ittihad also have the upper hand in the head-to-head record between the sides this season.