Al-Nassr claimed a narrow 1-0 victory away at Al Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League, thanks to Sadio Mane's first-half goal, despite the absence of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo. The win keeps Al-Nassr in contention for the title, trailing leaders Al-Hilal by three points. Ronaldo's unavailability stemmed from reported dissatisfaction with the club's investment compared to rivals.
The match on February 2, 2026, kicked off at 3:15 p.m. UK time in Riyadh, with Al-Nassr aiming to close the gap on league leaders Al-Hilal. Al Riyadh, sitting fourth from bottom and fighting to avoid relegation, started energetically. Within the first ten minutes, Sergio Gonzalez struck the crossbar from a set-piece delivery by Toze, signaling an early threat to the visitors.
Al-Nassr gradually took control, with Joao Felix playing a pivotal role in their attacks. Felix tested Al Riyadh goalkeeper Milan Borjan twice from distance, both saved comfortably. Sadio Mane also missed narrowly from a corner. The breakthrough came in the 40th minute: Felix threaded a precise through ball to Mane, who finished low into the bottom-left corner with his right foot.
After halftime, Al Riyadh pressed forward, earning corners and free kicks, but Al-Nassr's defense, anchored by Mohamed Simakan and Iñigo Martinez, held firm. The visitors had chances to extend their lead, including Sultan Al Ghannam's header hitting the post from a corner and a blocked shot by Mane. Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Felix also missed on counter-attacks.
Tension mounted in the closing stages as Al Riyadh pushed for an equalizer, forcing late corners. In the 97th minute, a VAR review examined a potential penalty involving Mane, but no spot-kick was awarded. Yoann Barbet's late header drifted wide, Al Riyadh's closest effort post-break. Al-Nassr managed the game with substitutions to protect their lead, securing three vital points.
Ronaldo's absence was confirmed pre-match, with reports from Portuguese outlet A Bola indicating he made himself unavailable, protesting perceived favoritism by the Public Investment Fund toward other clubs like Al-Hilal, where former teammate Karim Benzema is set to join. Al-Nassr's lineup featured Bento in goal, with Mane, Felix, and Ghareeb up front replacing Ronaldo. Al Riyadh have conceded 38 goals this season, the joint-worst, and haven't kept a clean sheet in 13 games. The reverse fixture earlier ended 5-1 to Al-Nassr.
