The game had a clear framing: anything other than a win for Al Nassr would be a serious problem. On the other side was a fragile Damac, stuck near the bottom of the table, low on confidence, without individual references and with a very simple plan — defend deep, survive and, if possible, steal a point. Al Nassr arrived under pressure from recent poor results and from the need not to let Al Hilal pull further away, which made this match far more dangerous than it looked on paper.
The start was exactly what was expected. Damac set up in a 5-4-1, with no intention of pressing or keeping the ball. Al Nassr took control from the first minute, circulating comfortably and spending long periods in the final third.
The breakthrough came quickly. In the 5th minute, Coman holds off his man on the right, waits for the right moment and finds Ghareeb inside the box. The movement is simple but full of quality: he shifts to his left, fools the defender with a fake shot and finishes with his right foot. A clean, technical goal that rewards a player often overlooked, who took his chance with personality.
The 1-0 made the game comfortable, but not settled. Damac, despite their limitations, had two clear moments from long balls and poor reads from Bento, who once again looked insecure when leaving his line. Even so, control belonged to Al Nassr. João Félix constantly appeared between the lines, combined well with Ângelo and Cristiano, but struggled with decision-making. At times there was a lack of selfishness, at others too much flair. Cristiano had a good headed chance from a trivela cross by Félix and was reasonably involved in the game, but the second goal stubbornly refused to arrive.
In the second half, Al Nassr came out with the same idea and resolved things quickly. In the 50th minute, João Félix receives with space and plays a perfect pass in behind the defence. Cristiano attacks the space, reads the goalkeeper’s movement and finishes with composure, no power, just placement. A veteran’s goal, from someone who reads the game half a second before everyone else. Career goal number 960, league top scorer reinforced and, in theory, the game under control.
But Al Nassr have a recurring problem: they fall asleep. After the 2-0, intensity drops and the team starts managing instead of killing the game. And they pay for it. In the 68th minute, from a simple cross to the near post, Harkass appears completely unmarked and heads in without opposition. An avoidable goal that reopens a match that never needed to be reopened.
Damac grow emotionally, the stadium starts to believe, but the lack of technical quality prevents anything more. Al Nassr continue to arrive, especially through Cristiano, who even had a goal disallowed for offside — in fact, he was caught offside several times, largely because of his constant attempts to attack the space in behind.
There was a lack of calm in the final pass and better reading in some counter-attacks, but the result never truly slipped away. A win that was harder than it should have been, but a win nonetheless.
Post-match
Al Nassr leave with the three points, but not with full peace of mind. The game confirmed two things: the individual superiority is still there and the team still do not know how to manage advantages with maturity.
There are positive signs in the attacking fluidity, in the way chances are created and in the connection between Félix, Cristiano and the wingers. But defensively and mentally, this Al Nassr side remain vulnerable. A match that could have been settled early once again turned into an uncomfortable final stretch, something that does not match a team that wants to fight for the title.
Cristiano, once again, made the difference. He appeared when he had to, after several attempts. And right now, for this Al Nassr, that matters a lot.