Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: Al Nassr put the disappointment of their early exit from the 2015 AFC Champions League behind them by successfully retaining their Saudi Professional League title with a game to spare following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat of Riyadh rivals Al Hilal.
Mohammad Al Sahlawi, who was the most expensive player in Saudi football when he joined Al Nassr from Al Qadisiyah in a reported US$8million deal in 2009, scored the only goal of the game 19 minutes into the capital derby.
There was a suspicion of offside when Al Sahlawi scored his 21st of the campaign after being set up by Poland international midfielder Adrian Mierzejewski and Al Hilal’s frustration boiled over in the second half with Mohamed Jahfali, Saud Kariri, and Salem Al Dawsari all receiving their marching orders as Al Hilal finished the game with eight men.
Al Nassr’s victory took their points tally to 63, four clear of second-place Al Ahli who were held 2-2 at home by Al Ta’awon in their penultimate game of the 2014/15 season while Al Hilal are a further eight behind on 51 points, level with Jeddah giants Al Ittihad.
While Al Nassr’s continental campaign ended with a 3-1 loss to Qatari champions Lekhwiya which left them third in the Group A standings, both Al Hilal, last year’s ACL runners-up, and Al Ahli remain in the hunt for Asia’s premier club competition having advanced to the Round of 16 by topping Group C and Group D respectively.
Al Hilal, who lost the 2014 AFC Champions League final to Australia’s Western Sydney Wanderers, travel to Tehran for the first leg of their Round of 16 clash with Persepolis on May 19 while Al Ahli entertain inaugural ACL champions Al Ain in Jeddah the following day.
Photo: WSG