Al Ahli vs. Al Nassr final score, result as Ronaldo penalty settles tense Saudi Pro League match

Cristiano Ronaldo held his nerve from the penalty spot to return Al Nassr to winning ways with a vital 1-0 Saudi Pro League victory over Al Ahli.

Luis Castro’s side were back in action for the first time since Al Ain dumped them out of the AFC Champions League on penalties earlier this week, aiming for a first win in three league games.

It felt like a good time for Al Ahli to be playing a wounded rival, who they sit just a place behind in the standings in third.

Al Ahli vs Al Nassr final score

	2nd Half	Goalscorers
Al Ahli	0
Al Nassr	1	Ronaldo 68'

Lineups:

Al Ahli (4-2-3-1, right to left): 18. Edouard Mendy (GK) — 27. Ali Majrashi (17. Haitham Asiri), 28. Merih Demiral, 3. Roger Ibanez, 31. Saad Balobaid (15. Abdullah Al Ammar) — 40. Ali Al-Asmari (30. Ziyad Al Johani), 79. Franck Kessie — 7. Riyad Mahrez, 10. Roberto Firmino, 97. Allan Saint-Maximin (8. Sumayhan Al Nabit) — 20. Feras Al-Buraikan (19. Fahad Al Rashidi)

Al Nassr (4-2-3-1, right to left): 26. David Ospina (GK) — 23. Ayman Yahya (12. Nawaf Bu Washl), 78. Ali Lajami (4. Mohammed Al Fatil), 27. Aymeric Laporte, 15. Alex Telles — 14. Sami Al Naji 77. Marcelo Brozovic — 29. Abdulrahman Ghareeb (19. Ali Al Hassan), 25. Otavio, 10. Sadio Mane — 7. Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Victory would have moved the hosts to within three points of Al Nassr and they almost led when Merih Demiral headed Riyad Mahrez’s 37th-minute corner against the crossbar.

But Demiral was left to be grateful for a VAR reprieve when appeared to have played Ronaldo onside before the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was driven wide, rounded goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and swivelled to finish. Replays showed the 39-year-old had in fact strayed fractionally beyond Demiral.

Mendy denied Ronaldo brilliantly when a defensive lapse let him through on goal before Al Ahli were left to be frustrated by VAR when Mahrez strayed just beyond the last man in the build-up to a close-range finish by Roberto Firmino.

In the end, another video review proved decisive when replays showed that the accident-prone Al Ahli defender Roger Ibanez had fouled Sami Al Naji in the area.

Never in doubt from the penalty spot for @Cristiano ????#yallaRSL pic.twitter.com/QeIzo61zoU

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) March 15, 2024

Ronaldo strode forward and slotted home, sending Mendy the wrong way before embarking upon his familiar celebration after goal 23 in the league this season and number 36 in all competitions. 

Al Hilal might be too far away in the title race, nine points clear with a game in hand but this win at least means Al Nassr should be sure of a top-three spot and AFC Champions League football next season.

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Al Ahli vs Al Nassr live updates, highlights, and commentary

Fulltime: Inexplicably it's laid off to Mahrez, Otavio makes the block and that's that. Al Nassr secure their place in second, now nine points ahead of tonight's opponents. They're the same amount behind leaders Al Hilal, having played a game more.

90th minute+10: Clumsy foul from Laporte and this, on the edge of the D to the right, will tickle the fancy of his former Manchester City teammate Mahrez.

90th minute+8: That was the chance for Al Ahli! Mahrez picks out Al Rashidi at the far post but the substitute head into the turn and wide.

90th minute+5: Al Nassr killing the clock quite effectively here. Al Ahli appear to be running out of ideas.

90th minute: The two lengthy VAR interludes account for a chunk of 10 minutes of additional time.

88th minute: Ospina comes to the near post and can't grab a hold. He gets back into his goalmouth to deny Ibanez.

87th minute: Mild panic in the Al Nassr box before Kessie throws himself acrobatically at a bouncing ball. He doesn't connect cleanly and it's a simple save for Ospina. Here come the hosts again and it's another Mahrez corner.

85th minute: Ghareeb gets in behind Ibanez but shanks his cross out of play.

84th minute: Ronaldo holds up play well for Brozovic to drag a shot wide from outside the box. A few more spaces opening for Al Nassr now as Al Ahli think of an equaliser.

82nd minute: Al Naji can seal in for Al Nassr but can't get the ball under control and Al Ammar gets back to make a vital challenge.

79th minute: Al Nabit right into the swing of things with a jinking run and a low cross to win a corner. He takes it himself and Al Nassr clear.

78th minute: Double change for Al Ahli. Saint-Maximin is withdrawn along with Saad. The former Newcastle winger doesn't like that but he's been pretty anonymous. That means a whole new left-hand side for the hosts, with Al Nabit and Al Ammar on.

72nd minute: Al Nassr now forced into a change. It looks like a hamstring injury for Lajami, which is problematic in terms of Saudi Arabia's forthcoming World Cup qualifiers. Al Fati enters the fray.

68th minute: GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!! Cristiano Ronaldo (pen) !!!!

Just as he did in midweek, Ronaldo dispatches the penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Big goal for Al Nassr and their talisman.

67th minute: Penalty to Al Nassr. Ibanez survives. Guess who's taking it...

65th minute: The referee is over to the monitor. Ibanez looks like he's in trouble here. That's surely a penalty. And does this mean a second yellow and a third successive red card for the errant Brazilian?

62nd minute: Ziyad Al Johani is the man to come on. Ohhh, that looks like a clumsy tackle form Ibanez on Al Naji. VAR will have a look at that. 

60th minute: Al Ahli appear to have been lifted by that near miss and Otavio almost let Firmino in with an ill-advised backheel. Wait a minute, though,Al-Asmari needs some treatment. It looks like his thigh and Al Ahli will be forced into a change.

58th minute: Yep, offside against Mahrez. On we go.

57th minute: Al Ahli have the ball in the net but there are a couple of claims for offside. First against Mahrez in the build-up and then for Firmino after he put the ball in the net.-

53rd minute: Al Ahli haven't really recovered their poise since that let-off at the start of the half. Al Naji is stepping forward to effectively lead the Al Nassr press and the hosts are struggling to get out.

47th minute: Saad coughs up a gift to Ronaldo. He tries to round Mendy but that former Chelsea man produces an excellent piece of goalkeeping.

46th minute: We're back underway. No changes for either side.

Halftime: Safe to say tempers are a little bit frayed as the players head to the dressing room. Demiral almost gave Al Ahli the lead and was then almost at fault for Ronaldo breaking the deadlock. VAR came to his aid. We'll see you all in a moment when everyone has hopefully calmed down.

45th minute+4: Kessie wins a free-kick, Ronaldo boots the ball away. No punishment for that. Kessie and the Al Alhi contingent in general aren't too happy.

45th minute: There were unsavoury scenes after that disallowed goal, with a plastic cup full of water thrown from the stands that hit Otavio on the head during Al Nassr's celebrations.

44th minute: GOAL RULED OUT!!!! After a long VAR check, Ronaldo is show to be fractionally offside! As you were.

42nd minute: GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!! Cristiano Ronaldo!!!!

It's poor defending from Al Ahli as Demiral plays his old Serie A rival onside. The centre-back then misses his slide tackle. It drives Ronaldo wide, he rounds Mendy. Tha tangle is against him but be swivels to finish brilliantly.

37th minute: Demiral hits the crossbar for Al Ahli! Mahrez whips in a devilish corner from the right and the Turkey international gets up to plant a header against the furniture.

35th minute: Firmino briefly looks to be in behind but can't bring the ball under his spell.

33rd minute: We resume with an Al Nassr corner on the right. Firmino is up to head clear.

30th minute: We're having a cooling break. Feel free to grab some refreshments yourself!

28th minute: Firmino drops deep and Kessie charges into the space he's vacated to receive the pass and have a shot deflected behind. Al Nassr see off the danger from the corner.

21st minute: Latest meaty challenge from Majrashi, who got a bit off the ball but then thudded into Ghareeb's right ankle. The Al Nassr man needs some treatment. The referee, who is taking something of a "boys will be boys" approach to all this at the moment, restarts with a drop ball.

18th minute: It's a bit scrappy at the moment. Mahrez clumps into Otavio in a sliding challenge were both somehow late for.

15th minute: Cute pass from Al Naji that Ghareeb dummies for Ronaldo, who shifts around Demiral and goes down. The free-kick goes Al Ahli's way, which is an odd one.

12th minute: Ibanez goes charging out to Mane on the flank, brings him down and that's an obvious booking. Just 78 minutes to avoid his third consecutive red card! What a loose cannon.

7th minute: Mahrez with a dreamy first touch from a crossfield ball but Telles sticks to his task, makes the block and the ball cannons back into the right winger for a goal kick.

6th minute: Al Ahli carve down the left channel and Telles needs to make an excellent challenge to deny Mahrez on the end of Firmino's cross.

5th minute: Ibanez, who remarkably has been sent off on his past two starts, goes into a challenge on Mane. It's firm as you'd expect from man with that rap sheet, but it's a fair one.

2nd minute: Ball into the Al Ahli box is nodded a cross goal. Demiral looks to hold Ronaldo off and catches him in the neck with his arm. A bit of a painful one but understandably no penalty claims.

1st minute: Al Ahli get us underway. Then Al-Buraikan handles it and Al Nassr have a free-kick in the centre circle.

2 mins before kickoff: Ronaldo and Firmino come together for the coin toss and exchange pendants. Both star forwards are all smiles.

5 mins before kickoff: Here come the teams at King Abdullah Sports City. It's a big and raucous crowd backing their side. The green, white and black tifo welcoming the sides reads "HORROR SQUAD". Bet it's even more intimidating in October.

20 mins before kickoff: Al Nassr forced into a late change before kickoff as Al-Khaibari is injured in the warm up. Al Naji

30 mins before kickoff: This feels like a big night for Al Nassr head coach Luis Castro. Rudi Garcia has already lost his job during the Ronaldo era. Although they won 3-2 on the night against Al Ain, Al Nassr were unable to avert Champions League elimination after a run of three games without a win across all competitions. At this juncture, it would take a remarkable collapse for Al Hilal not to win the Saudi Pro League title. That would be their fourth in a row, so coming second to them is one thing. If Al Ahli also threaten to overhaul Al Nassr it's hard to see Castro staying in a job too much longer.

55 mins before kickoff: Here's how the hosts line up. Plenty of familiar names for Premier League fans. Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Allan Saint-Maximin and Roberto Firmino all present and correct.

1 hour before kickoff: The teams are in. David Ospina and Aymeric Laporte return to bolster an Al Nassr backline that was breached three times in their absence on Monday.

???? || Starting lineup,@AlNassrFC vs #AlAhli pic.twitter.com/uOgT3qdDKR

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 15, 2024

1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of the heavyweight Saudi Pro League clash between Al Ahli and Al Nassr.

#AlNassr ???? #AlAhli ⏱️ 10 PM ????Jeddah pic.twitter.com/0vkZiG0p28

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 15, 2024

Al Ahli vs Al Nassr kick off time

This Saudi Pro League match at the King Abdullah Sports City kicks off on Friday, March 15 at 10 p.m. local time in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:

	Date	Kickoff time
USA	Fri, Mar. 15	3 p.m. ET
Canada	Fri, Mar. 15	3 p.m. ET
UK	Fri, Mar. 15	7 p.m. GMT
Australia	Sat, Mar. 16	6 a.m. AEDT
India	Sat, Mar. 16	12:30 a.m. IST

Al Ahli vs Al Nassr lineups, team news

Al Ahli are just six points behind Al Nassr, in third spot in the table, and they are also pushing for a place in the AFC Champions League in 2024/25. 

Roger Ibanez returns following a one-game ban with former Premier League stars Roberto Firmino and Riyad Mahrez set to lead the attack.

Al Ahli (4-2-3-1, right to left): Mendy (GK) — Majrashi, Demiral, Ibanez, Balobaid — Al-Asmari, Kessie — Mahrez, Firmino, Saint-Maximin  — Al-Buraikan.

Despite their frustration against Al Ain, Luis Castro's squad have to pick themselves up and power on in the Saudi Pro League, as a top-three finish still secures qualification for next season's AFC Champions League.

Spain international Aymeric Laporte returns after missing out against Al Ain through suspension, while David Ospina is back between the posts.

Al Nassr (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ospina (GK) — Ayman, Lajami, Laporte, Telles — Al-Khaibari, Brozovic — Ghareeb, Otavio, Mane — Ronaldo.

Al Ahli vs Al Nassr live stream, TV channel

	TV channel	Streaming
USA	Fox Soccer Plus, Fox Deportes	Fubo, Fox Sports app/website
Australia	—	10 Play
Canada	—	DAZN
UK	—	DAZN
India	Sony TEN 2	Sony LIV, JioTV

MORE: How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored at Al Nassr this season? CR7 stats in Saudi Arabia in 2023-2024