Cristiano Ronaldo is at the center of an incredible late-night drama as Al Nassr destroys Riyadh rivals Al Shabab

Cristiano Ronaldo put a frustrating week behind him by firing Al Nassr to a 2-1 win over Al Shabab as the Riyadh derby ended with a stunning penalty drama.

Ronaldo angrily marched off the pitch at Hampden Park as Portugal were held to a 0-0 draw by Scotland in the UEFA Nations League, but his return to the domestic league brought a far more satisfying conclusion for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Al Nassr led thanks to a superb strike from Aymeric Laporte midway through the second half and was trying to make it six wins from six in all competitions since former AC Milan coach Pioli replaced Luis Castro last month.

Ali Alhassan’s own goal in the 90th minute was the first time Al Nassr had conceded a goal in the Saudi Pro League during the Italian’s reign and it seemed certain they would continue to lose ground at the top of the table to the mighty Al Hilal .

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As it happened, an implausible solution was just beginning. Al-Nassr substitute Abdulrahman Ghareeb was brought down by a brave foul by Brazilian defender Robert Renan and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

Ronaldo had to wait a long time as some opponents tried to grab the penalty spot. He stayed above the action and sent a powerless punch into the lower right corner, sending Kim Seung-gyu the wrong way.

🚨🚨| GOAL: CRISTIANO RONALDO GIVES AL NASSR THE LEAD IN THE LAST MINUTE OF THE MATCH!!!

Al Shabab 1-2 Al Nassr

pic.twitter.com/VnaaHcYl9a

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 18, 2024

There was another twist when Mohamed Simakan Nader clumsily brought down Al-Sharari following an Al Shabab corner. After a lengthy VAR review, a penalty was awarded and Simakan – who had been booked moments earlier for his involvement in the penalty spot snafu – was sent off.

Former Al-Nassr hero Abderrazak Hamdallah stepped up to the plate and hit his penalty against the post with virtually the last kick of the game.

Al Nassr are four points behind Al Hilal at the top as the reigning champions won seven out of seven games in 2024/25. Karim Benzema’s Al Ittihad will replace them in second place if they beat Al Qadisiyah on Saturday.