On January 12th, 2026 the much awaited Capital Derby between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal entertained fans at Riyadh’s kingdom Arena, as Al-Nassr lost the crucial match with the final score 3-1, the victory has enabled Al-Hilal to tighten their grip at the top of Saudi Pro League table. Before the match began Al-Nassr was already trailing behind the league leaders by four points, hence the match was crucial for them as Jorge Jesus’ side is still in pursuit of their first league crown in seven years.
In the opening stages of the match both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal were cautious. Under Simone Inzaghi Al-Hilal adopted a disciplined 5-4-1 shape. The focus of their approach was swift counterattacks and defensive solidity. The play was being dictated by Ruben Neves through his precise long passes.
Even Al-Nassr who are known for their offensive, high-tempo pressing game were cautious and opted for more defensive and measured strategy.
Al-Nassr’s Kingsley Coman during the 19th minute tested Al-Hilal goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Rubaie. The deadlock was finally broken after a moment of brilliance before halftime. Coman received a perfect pass from Joao Felix and unselfishly further passed the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo not missing the opportunity handed Al-Nassr with a vital lead. Going into the break Al-Nassr had a lead of 1 goal over Al-Hilal.
When the second half started Al-Nassr initially carried the momentum of first half but eventually lost it. A five-minute spell changed the whole match. Due to a foul by Mohamed Simakan, Malcom won a penalty.
The penalty was utilized by Salem Al-Dawsari and he restored parity in the match in the 56th minute. Shortly after the 56th minute controversy erupted The Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi was sent off the ground for violent conduct. This was due to an altercation with Neves. This left the Al-Nassr teams with 10 players on field.
After this Al-Nassr completely lost its momentum the next goal came at the 81st minute of the match. After that when the match had entered deep into the stoppage time Al-Hilal was awarded with another penalty. Neves easily utilized it and the final score became 3-1.
Al-Nassr has now lost 4 matches back-to-back. On the points table they are currently frozen at 31 points.
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