Saudi Pro League 2025-26: Ronaldo and Al Nassr break winless streak after 3-2 win against Al Shabab

Al Nassr returned to winning ways in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League after a 3-2 win against 10-man Al Shabab on Saturday.

Both teams had players score an own goal, with Al Shabab’s Saad Yaslam and Al Nassr’s Mohamed Simakan putting the ball in their respective nets. Apart from the own goals, Kingsley Coman and Abdulrahman Ghareeb got on the scoresheet for Al Nassr, while Carlos Junior scored for Al Shabab.

Al Nassr is second in the rankings with 34 points from 15 appearances, four less than top team Al Hilal, which has a match against Neom SC on Sunday. Al Shabab is 15th with 11 points.

After a three-match losing streak, it is imperative that Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr returns to winning ways. And the start was brilliant as Yaslam put the ball in his own net in the second minute to try to clear a cross from Joao Felix, who had a decent impact from the left flank.

Six minutes later, Coman brought down the roof of Al Awwal Park with a stunning bicycle kick to double Al Nassr’s lead. The chance came from another cross from Felix, which reached Wesley at the far post. Realizing he didn’t have a clear shot on target, Wesley set up Coman for the shot and the Frenchman struck the ball in the most acrobatic finish to rattle the net.

All signs pointed to Al Nassr having lost their slice of sub-par football and that they would end the match with a big score, but the situation became a bit anticlimactic for the home side and their fans after Shabab, unperturbed by the early onslaught, stuck to his game plan to keep up the pressure in the final third.

AS IT HAPPENED: NAS VS SHB HIGHLIGHTS

Shabab’s perseverance began to pay off and his positive approach was rewarded in the 31st minute.

Hammam Al Hammami received the ball on the right flank and danced his way through Al Nassr’s penalty area, leaving full-back Nawaf Boushal in the dust. He whipped a cross towards the near post, looking for Carlos Junior, but Simakan tucked the ball into his own net after failing to control the pace of the ball.

Shabab kept up the intensity in the second half, with Yannick Carrasco playing a crucial role as a forward, dropping deep and feeding the ball to his teammates. The equalizer came in a similar fashion when Carrasco made a defensive pass to Carlos Junior, who timed his run well. He made his way into the penalty area, remained calm and slid the ball past an onrushing Bento to level the match.

Al Shabab, rejuvenated after recovering from a two-goal deficit, made it clear they were going for the kill, but when Vincent Sierro was shown a red (second yellow) card for his late challenge on Coman, the plans were derailed. The red card meant the game plan had to change, with explosive winger Al Hammam coming on for Faisal Al Subiani to provide solidity in midfield.

With an extra man, Al Nassr pushed hard and scored the winner in the 76th minute. A cut from the left came in the middle of a crowded box. Wesley shot on target for the first time, but saw his effort blocked. However, Ghareeb, who was in the right place at the right time, lashed out on the rebound, deflecting the ball several times on its way into the net.

It wasn’t the flashiest winner and certainly not a convincing performance from Jorge Jesus’ men, but after a four-match winless run, the Knights of Najd will take the three points regardless of how it could have happened.

Published on January 18, 2026