Without Ronaldo, Al Nassr still extends their winning streak

Despite Ronaldo's refusal to take the field, Al Nassr found a way to overcome Al Riyadh in the 20th round of the Saudi Pro League.

Al Nassr extended their winning run to five matches with a 1-0 away victory against Al Riyadh in the 20th round of the Saudi Arabian Premier League. The yellow-clad team currently leads the standings, level on points with Al Hilal (46), but having played one more game than Simone Inzaghi’s side.

Jorge Jesus’s team dominated possession with 67% throughout the match. They created at least 10 chances but lacked finishing precision, managing only three shots on target.

Al Riyadh had just three fewer shots but were even less accurate, with only one shot on target. Al Nassr kept pressing, and their efforts paid off in the 40th minute when Sadio Mane received an excellent pass from Joao Felix inside the box and the Senegalese forward did not miss his chance.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Al Riyadh failing to capitalize on most opportunities, while Al Nassr continued searching for a second goal to seal the win. Although they didn’t achieve that, Al Nassr still secured all three points in the 20th round match despite the absence of star striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Previously, Cristiano Ronaldo officially withdrew from Al Nassr’s squadfor the match against Al Riyadh in protest against the unfair investment policies of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

According to theA Bolaciting internal sources from Al Nassr, the real reason CR7 refused to play was deep dissatisfaction with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – which manages the four biggest Saudi clubs.Ronaldo feels Al Nassr is being "neglected" and treated unfairly compared to their rivals, especially Al Hilal.

While Al Nassr strives to chase the top spot, PIF continues to pour massive funds into strengthening Al Hilal during this winter transfer window at the request of coach Simone Inzaghi.