Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly emotional after his team, Al-Nassr, lost the King’s Cup final to Al-Hilal. The match ended in a penalty shootout with a score of 5-4 in favor of Al-Hilal. The final score after extra time was 1-1. This defeat marks the second consecutive season Ronaldo has ended without winning a major trophy in Saudi Arabia since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022.
Penalty Shootout Drama
The intense final took place in Jeddah at King Abdullah Sports City. After extra time, the match went to penalties. Al-Hilal won the shootout 5-4. Ronaldo scored his penalty, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win for his team. Key saves by Al-Hilal’s goalkeeper Bounou, who was a standout player during the 2022 World Cup, sealed the victory. He saved penalties from Al-Nassr players Ali Al-Hassan and Al-Nemer.
Al-Nassr’s League Struggles
The defeat in the King’s Cup came just days after Al-Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League, 14 points behind Al-Hilal. Ronaldo did find some consolation in the league by setting a new record with 35 goals in a season. However, this achievement didn’t soften the blow of missing out on the King’s Cup.
Early Lead and Red Cards
The match was full of dramatic moments, starting with Aleksandar Mitrovic’s header that gave Al-Hilal the lead just seven minutes in. The situation worsened for Al-Nassr when their goalkeeper, David Ospina, received a red card early in the second half for handling the ball outside the penalty area.
Al-Hilal also faced challenges as Ali Al-Bulaihi was sent off in the 86th minute for a headbutt on Al-Nassr’s Sami Al-Najei. Shortly after, Ayman Yahya scored a header to bring Al-Nassr level.
In the 91st minute, Al-Hilal’s Kalidou Koulibaly, who joined from Chelsea last summer, was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, reducing Al-Hilal to nine men.
Extra Time and Penalties
Despite being down to nine men, Al-Hilal managed to hold on through extra time, leading to the decisive penalty shootout. Ronaldo’s overhead kick that hit the post earlier in the match was a highlight, but it was ultimately Bounou’s heroics in goal that determined the outcome.
Al-Hilal’s 11th King’s Cup triumph was a bitter pill to swallow for Ronaldo and his teammates, who will now have to look forward to next season for another chance at silverware. The emotional scene of Ronaldo in tears, consoled by his teammates, captured the agony of a hard-fought but ultimately fruitless campaign.
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