Sergej Milinkovic-Savic preserved Al-Hilal's unbeaten start to the Saudi Pro League season as his header earned the defending champions a 1-1 draw against Al-Nassr on Friday.
2024/2025 Saudi Professional League
1-1
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
1' GOAL! Talisca scores in the first minute!
6' Highlight from Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
8' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
27' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
31' Highlight from Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
38' Highlight from Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
42' Highlight from Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
49' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
64' Highlight from Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
67' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
72' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
75' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
77' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 1-1 Al-Hilal Saudi FC (Sergej Milinković-Savić)
87' Match Event for Al Nassr FC vs Al-Hilal Saudi FC
Match Report
Al-Hilal dropped their first points of the season having won their first eight games, but remained at the summit of the standings, moving one point clear of Al-Ittihad.
Al-Nassr found themselves in front inside two minutes when Otavio's clipped ball found Talisca, who took a touch before firing the ball beyond Yassine Bounou.
The first half saw clear-cut chances hard to come by, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Talisca and Mohamed Simakan seeing their efforts unable to trouble visiting goalkeeper Bounou.
Al-Hilal, who had scored 23 goals in their first eight games, came closest to an equaliser after the break when Salem Al Dawsari struck the woodwork.
But the leveller came in the 77th minute when a free-flowing move ended with Milinkovic-Savic heading the ball in off the post after being picked out by Renan Lodi's cross.
Both sides looked to find a winner in the closing stages, with Ali Lajami coming the closest for Al-Nassr, but the points were shared at the Al Awal Park at King Saud University.
FULL TIME #AlHilal pic.twitter.com/Hd7Itu7te6
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN) November 1, 2024
Data Debrief: Champions end Ronaldo streak
Ronaldo's run of four straight games with a goal came to an end against Al-Hilal, though he was Al-Nassr's most potent attacking threat during the encounter.
The Portugal captain registered a team-high 0.37 expected goals (xG) to Al-Nassr's 0.9 total, while also having the joint-most touches in the opposition box (five - level with Otavio).
Line-ups
Al Nassr FC XI: Ronaldo, Brozovic, Laporte, Mane, Otávio, Talisca, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Abdullah Alkhaibari, Mohamed Simakan, Bento, Nawaf Al-Boushal
Subs: Mohammed Al-Fatil, Mukhtar Ali, Ali Lajami, Raghed Al-Najjar, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Ali Al-Hassan, Ayman Yahya, Mohammed Marran, Salem Al Najdi
Al-Hilal Saudi FC XI: Koulibaly, Cancelo, Bounou, Salem Al Dawsari, Mitrovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Mohammed Kanoo, Malcom, Ali Albulayhi, Lodi, Mohammed Al-Qahtani
Subs: Yasir Al Shahrani, Nasser Al-Dawsari, Hassan Tambakti, Mohammed Al-Rubaie, Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Hamad Al-Yami, Khalid Al-Ghannam, Moteb Al-Harbi, Marcos Leonardo