Al-Nassr Have A Second Chance To Clinch The Saudi Pro League Title, Says Jorge Jesus

Jorge Jesus moved quickly to ease tension at Al-Nassr, stressing that the Saudi Pro League title is still within reach. The coach believes the squad now face a clear second opportunity to finish the job, with one decisive home match left to secure the championship.

Before that final round, Al-Nassr hold a five-point lead over Al-Hilal at the top of the table. Al-Hilal, however, still have one match in hand, which keeps pressure on the leaders. Al-Nassr will be champions if they defeat Damac, or if Al-Hilal drop points against Neom or Al-Fayha.

Al-Nassr came close to sealing the Saudi Pro League title on Tuesday, only to be denied by a dramatic late twist. Mohamed Simakan put Al-Nassr ahead, but the meeting with second-place Al-Hilal ended 1-1 after a stoppage-time own goal, delaying any celebrations.

The match shifted in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time when goalkeeper Bento turned the ball into the net. That equaliser kept Al-Hilal mathematically alive in the Saudi Pro League title race and forced Al-Nassr to wait for a potential decisive win at home against Damac.

The performance numbers underlined Al-Nassr’s frustration, as the team largely controlled the contest. Al-Nassr produced 1.36 expected goals from nine shots, while Al-Hilal managed 0.91 xG from seven attempts. Cristiano Ronaldo took three shots, the most of any player in the match.

Only Kingsley Coman created more individual xG than Cristiano Ronaldo, with Coman registering 0.54 to Ronaldo’s 0.35. Al-Nassr’s display suggested the side did enough to win, which added to the disappointment when the late own goal changed the result and extended the Saudi Pro League title battle.

Jorge Jesus accepted the emotional impact of losing the Saudi Pro League title party in such fashion, yet stressed that the situation remains favourable. Jesus said: "It's tough to have lost the possibility to celebrate winning the title on the last play of the game but there is still one more game, at our stadium and we can be champions."

Jorge Jesus then underlined the importance of support at Al-Nassr’s ground and the second chance awaiting the players. Jesus added: "We have a second chance. We still have a game to be happy. If the fans are strong, for sure in the last game we will be happy and we will celebrate the title."

The Al-Nassr head coach also addressed the late own goal that shaped the Saudi Pro League title picture. On that incident, Jorge Jesus said: "It happened following a collision between Bento and [Inigo] Martnez, with no involvement from the Al-Hilal players. These sorts of situations happen all the time in football."

Al-Nassr now enter the final round knowing the Saudi Pro League title stays in their hands, despite the setback against Al-Hilal. Victory over Damac would end the chase, while any slip increases the importance of Al-Hilal’s remaining fixtures against Neom and Al-Fayha.