Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League title celebration was dramatically postponed after a heartbreaking own goal from their own goalkeeper Bento deep into stoppage time forced a 1-1 draw with Al Hilal at Al-Awwal Park on Tuesday night.
The home side looked set to take a huge step toward the championship after Mohamed Simakan fired them ahead in the 37th minute. But in the eighth minute of added time, disaster struck. A frantic scramble following a throw-in from Ali Lajami ended with Bento turning the ball into his own net, giving Al Hilal an unlikely share of the points.
“That is football at its cruelest,” an Al Nassr team source said after the match. “Bento was excellent all night. He made four big saves. But this one moment will haunt him.”
Simakan’s opening goal came after a brilliant run from Kingsley Coman. The French winger drove at the Al Hilal defence before slipping a pass to Simakan, who calmly finished with his right foot past goalkeeper Bono. Coman later hit the woodwork and missed another big chance as Al Nassr pushed for a second goal.
Despite Al Hilal controlling 63 percent of possession, it was Al Nassr who created the clearer opportunities. The home side registered 1.40 expected goals compared to just 0.80 for the visitors. Al Nassr also had 28 touches inside the opposition box against Al Hilal’s 14.
“We dominated the dangerous areas,” an Al Nassr coach said. “We deserved to win. But one loose moment cost us everything tonight.”
Referee Donatas Rumsas had a busy evening, booking seven players including Al Hilal’s Theo Hernández deep into stoppage time for arguing. Eight minutes of added time were signalled, and it was in the final seconds that Bento’s nightmare unfolded.
Before that late twist, Bento had been one of the best players on the pitch. He made four saves and prevented 0.49 goals based on expected goals on target, according to match statistics. His opposite number, Bono, finished with two saves and two high claims.
Simakan earned the highest Sofascore rating of the night at 7.8, matching Bento’s score. Al Hilal’s Moteb Al-Harbi also impressed with a clean performance on the left, including a goal-line clearance and 57 accurate passes.
On the attacking front, Cristiano Ronaldo had a quiet night by his standards. He managed three shots and posted a Sofascore rating of 6.4 before being substituted in the 83rd minute. Karim Benzema, now with Al Hilal, had two shots on target and missed one big chance. He was taken off in the 69th minute with a rating of 6.7.
Al Hilal won the physical battles across the pitch, claiming 64 percent of all duels and 74 percent of aerial contests. Al Nassr’s defence responded by making 18 clearances to keep the visitors at bay for most of the match.
The result means Al Nassr’s title coronation will have to wait for another match day. While they remain in strong position, the late equaliser from their own goalkeeper has given chasing teams renewed hope.
“We must move on,” the Al Nassr source added. “There is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. The job is not finished.”
