Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal clinched the Saudi Cup with a dramatic 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr on Friday, completing a domestic double and leaving Ronaldo in tears at the end of an intense encounter.
Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ronaldo both scored in the shootout, but it was Al Hilal’s goalkeeper Yassine Bounou who emerged as the hero, saving Al Nassr’s final two penalties to secure the trophy. The match, held at King Abdullah Sports City, was marred by the dismissals of three players before the game went into extra time.
Al Hilal, who dominated the Saudi league campaign before winning their 19th title under coach Jorge Jesus, took an early lead. Mitrovic headed home Malcom’s cross just seven minutes into the game, in front of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Despite several chances, including a spectacular bicycle kick by Ronaldo that hit the post but was ruled offside, Al Nassr struggled to equalize. Their task became more difficult when goalkeeper David Ospina was sent off for handling the ball outside the box in the 56th minute. Coach Luis Castro replaced forward Sadio Mane with substitute keeper Walid Abdullah.
Even a man down, Al Nassr pushed for an equalizer. Ronaldo’s long-range free-kick was saved by Bounou, and as time ran down, Al Hilal’s Ali Al-Bulayhi received two yellow cards within 10 seconds for violent conduct, reducing his team to 10 men. Al Nassr capitalized on the advantage with Ayman Yahya scoring a last-gasp equalizer to force extra time.
Al Hilal were further reduced to nine men when defender Kalidou Koulibaly received his second booking. Despite the numerical disadvantage, they held on through extra time to force a shootout. In the penalties, Bounou’s heroics secured the victory for Al Hilal.
The final whistle saw Ronaldo break down in tears, still searching for his first title in Saudi Arabia. Al Hilal’s triumph in the Saudi Cup marks a significant achievement, adding to their league title and reinforcing their dominance in Saudi football.
