Al-Nassr slip to defeat against Al-Qadsiah as title hopes take a hit

DAMMAM: Al-Nassr suffered their first Saudi Pro League defeat since January after a 16-game winning run that had taken them to the top of the table with a five-point cushion, as Al-Qadsiah earned a 3-1 victory at the Prince Mohammed bin Fahad Stadium on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers’ Al-Qadsiah became the only team to defeat Al-Nassr home and away this season, delivering a disciplined performance that dents the league leaders’ title hopes.

Al-Nassr remain top on 79 points despite the defeat, but the result opens the door for Al-Hilal to close the gap to just two points if they win their game in hand. That scenario would set up a potentially decisive clash between the sides on May 12, with top spot now firmly under threat.

Although Al-Nassr beat Al-Ahli last week, their performance raised concerns, with the first 75 minutes exposing vulnerabilities before Cristiano Ronaldo and Kingsley Coman rescued the result. Questions remained over whether they could break down an Al-Qadsiah side unbeaten at home since January 2025 — and one of the league’s most difficult teams to beat.

From the outset, Al-Qadsiah’s tactical adjustment to their usual 5-3-2 system unsettled the visitors.

It was not top scorer Julián Quiñones who made the early impact, but right wing-back Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat, the league’s leading assist provider from defence. He repeatedly exploited space behind Iñigo Martínez, often acting as an additional forward.

He first broke through early on, firing over before being flagged offside, before forcing Bento into a strong save in the 10th minute after another run in behind. The breakthrough arrived in the 24th minute when Christopher Bonsu Baah found Abu Al-Shamat unmarked, and he finished confidently for 1-0.

Al-