Winning has become a religion for Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo lately. The team in yellow has not tasted a loss in their last five Saudi Pro League games. Ronaldo has been at the center of these triumphant games, with hat-tricks in two straight games in the SPL. However, the hardest challenge of mirroring this form against Al Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final awaits Al Nassr. It is a chance for the Portuguese icon and his teammates to register their only win of the season against Al Hilal. Well, there is yet another reason to win.

If Al Nassr qualifies for the final, their recently resigned former President will accompany them to the Super Cup final. As per reports from Saudi Arabian handles on X, Al Nassr’s former president Masli Ali Muammar will travel with the team to Abu Dhabi if they defeat Al Hilal to book a spot in the final. Masli Ali Muammar has served as Al Nassr’s president from 2021, until he left the post in March 2024. He was instrumental in engineering the blockbuster deals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and Aymeric Laporte, among other overseas stars. The reason behind his resignation is unclear.

The Saudi Super Cup semi-finals begin tomorrow with an Al Ittihad-Al Wehda clash. Thereafter, Al Nassr takes on Al Hilal on Monday. If both Al Nassr and Al Ittihad win the semi-finals, the Saudi Super Cup final will host a Cristiano Ronaldo-Karim Benzema reunion. The Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi hosts the Al Nassr-Al Hilal tie and the Super Cup final. Ronaldo and Co.’s chances to defeat Al Hilal at this point are rather bleak, considering the latter’s top form in the Saudi League.

Why is defeating Al Hilal a Herculean task for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co?

Al Nassr and Al Hilal have met two times in the ongoing season. Al Hilal had spectacularly outclassed their domestic rivals in those two clashes. Not only have the Al Hilal players demonstrated their scoring prowess but has also defended well against the League’s top scorer- Cristiano Ronaldo. The 5x-Ballon d’Or winner and his forward fleet have consistently misfired against Al Hilal. Moreover, Jorge Jesus’ side currently tops the Saudi League table, 12 points clear of Al Nassr. Hence, the Saudi League title race is almost over at this point.

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Anyhow, during the last time Al Nassr met Al Hilal in a non-Saudi League competitive game, it was the former who registered a win. Back then, Ronaldo secured his first silverware with Al Nassr, beating their Riyadhi rivals in the Arab Club Champions Cup. Therefore, it is not beyond the Knights of Najd to repeat the feat. However, that is the bare minimum fans expect from the team in yellow, as this is one of their few chances to seize a trophy this season.

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