Saudi Pro League

The forward started his run from inside his own half before slotting in the winner, after teeing up Aleksandr Mitrovic for the equaliser just after the interval.

Feras Al Brikan had given Al Ahli the lead in the 30th minute, but the hosts could not hold onto it against the league leaders.

Al Hilal continue their unbeaten league campaign to a 30th match, moving 12 points clear at the top of the table, while Al Ahli remain in third, now 22 points off the AFC Champions League spot.

Data Debrief

Malcom was one of Al Hilal's most influential players; as well as playing a hand in both goals, he had the joint-most shots (five), and the joint-most shots on target (two), and created two chances for his team.

Al Ahli also struggled to cope with Mitrovic's threat, as the Serbian created an xG of 0.61 from his five shots, having 11 touches in the opposition box.

The Portugal international needed just five minutes to tee up Brazilian team-mate Talisca, who added the second of his account late on in the match at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.

Ronaldo got on the scoresheet himself in first-half stoppage time, with Marcelo Brozovic also on target before Fashon Sakala's 86th-minute consolation finish on Tuesday.

Victory marks Al Nassr's first win of the new league season after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw with Al Raed in their opener.

Data Debrief: Al Nassr dominance continues

Al Fayha are now winless in their last 111 Pro League matches against Al Nassr (D3 L8), their longest current winless streak against any opponent.

Luis Castro's side, by contrast, have scored in their last 21 league outings, their longest such run since a streak between December 2019 to October 2020.

Former Wolves star Neves slotted in from the penalty spot in the 74th minute, as Al Hilal completed a rapid comeback.

Having fallen behind to Lucas Zelarayan's 57th-minute opener, Al Hilal responded swiftly through Micheal before Salem Al Najdi fouled Mohammed Al Qahtani in the penalty area.

Ex-Barcelona winger Cristian Trello and Al Fateh coach Slaven Bilic were booked for their complaints, with Neves making no mistake, paving the way for Ali Al Bulayhi to seal victory in the 15th minute of an extended period of stoppage time.

Data Debrief

Al Hilal have now won 21 games on the spin in the league. They have scored 86 goals across their 28 matches this season, winning 26 in total.

They had 19 shots on Friday, accumulating 2.34 xG to Al Fateh's 0.25, with pass-master Neves creating three chances to go along with his goal.

Faiz Selemani restored parity after Mitrovic's 15th-minute opener at Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, only for Jorge Jesus' hosts to roar back and be crowned champions with three games remaining.

Ahmed Al Juwaid's own goal handed the initiative back to the dominant Al Hilal, who led 4-1 at the break after Mitrovic added another to his tally and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was on target.

The second of Mitrovic's strikes took him to a team-leading 26 league goals this term as Al Hilal breezed to another title, moving an unassailable 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr.

Jesus' side are unbeaten through all 31 games this season after securing their record-extending 19th top-flight crown in history, while Al Hazm need to win their last three matches to have any chance of staying up.

Al Hazm's relegation rivals Al Tai boosted their chances of survival in Saturday's earlier clash after a 1-1 draw away against Al Raed.

Al Tai are just a point away from 15th-placed Abha Club in their bid for top-flight safety after Ibrahim Al Nakhli's strike was cancelled out by Al Raed's Mohammed Fouzair in the second half.

Mitrovic, who netted a brace in Al Hilal's 4-1 win over Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup final a week ago, got his league tally up and running in a rampant first half display. 

The Serbian opened the scoring with just four minutes on the clock, steering the ball in from close range after being found by Abdullah Al Hamddan inside the area. 

He doubled his total shortly before the break, combining again with Al Hamddan before producing a trademark header beyond the grasp of Paulo Vítor. 

The triumph was confirmed after Sergej Milinkovic-Savic curled home an exquisite free-kick in first half injury time to net his 14th goal for the club. 

Al Hilal failed to replicate their clinical showing after the interval with none of their five shots on target, but the damage had already been done in the first 45 minutes. 

Data Debrief: Mitrovic continues incredible run

Since his move to Saudi Arabia from Fulham, Mitrovic has not stopped scoring, with his brace taking his tally to 30 goals in 29 Saudi Pro League appearances. 

The visitors accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 1.94 in the encounter, with Mitrovic contributing 0.77 to that total with his four shots in the contest. 

In a game short of clear-cut chances, the hosts got a stroke of luck to help them beat Edouard Mendy.

The teams struggled to get going in the first half, with both goalkeepers only having to make a couple of comfortable saves apiece.

Riyad Mahrez had the best chance, racing in behind Al-Fateh's defence only to drag his low shot wide of the far post. However, his blushes were spared by the offside flag.

Djaniny broke the deadlock from range in the 54th minute – his scuffed shot took a wicked deflection off Ibanez, and Mendy could not keep it out despite getting hands to it after being wrongfooted.

Al-Ahli pushed for an equaliser, with Sumayhan Al Nabit cutting inside in stoppage time, but his low drive was straight at Peter Szappanos. 

Data Debrief: Milestone win for hosts

While it was not a classic by any stretch, Al-Fateh will remember it as their 150th win in the Saudi Pro League (85 home, 65 away). They are the sixth club to hit that milestone in the competition's history. 

Al-Fateh have now won five of their last 22 Saudi Pro League matches against Jeddah clubs (drawn six, lost 11), with all of those victories coming against Al-Ahli. 

He scored twice in four minutes at the end of the first half to send the visitors into the break 4-0 up before getting his third just 10 minutes after the break.

Seko Fofana had already given Steven Gerrard’s side the lead five minutes into the contest, while Moussa Dembele doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.

Al-Ittihad had the chances, but they could not find the back of the net, as they stayed fifth, but are now just six points above Al-Ettifaq. 

Data Debrief: Clinical finishers

Al-Ettifaq had five shots on target against Al-Ittihad, scoring with all of them while creating an xG of 3.62.

With his hat-trick against Al-Ittihad, Ekambi has now scored 11 goals for the season, netting more than once for the first time since joining the club.

Al-Ittihad have endured a miserable title defence, and with just two games remaining, the highest the big-spending, PIF-backed club can finish is fourth.

Muhannad Al Shanqiti put them ahead on the stroke of half-time, yet despite having a further eight shots and accumulating 1.07 xG in the second half, Al-Ittihad could not add another.

Their profligacy proved costly in the 81st minute, with Egypt international Sherif snatching an equaliser for 11th-placed Al-Khaleej.

Al-Tai moved out of the relegation zone with a surprise 3-1 win over seventh-placed Al-Fateh, with Bernard Mensah scoring twice.

Al-Raed, meanwhile, claimed a 1-0 win at Al-Wehda.

Data Debrief: Kante the creator?

On the day he received a surprising France recall, N'Golo Kante created three chances for Al-Ittihad, leading the team.

On the flip side, Kante only attempted one tackle, with the midfielder showing a different side to his game, not that it proved fruitful for his team.

Mitrovic netted his 27th Saudi Pro League goal of the campaign after Sadio Mane was harshly judged to have fouled Saud Abdulhamid in the area.

Mane stuck out an arm to shield the ball, catching his opponent in the throat, though the contact appeared to have been outside of the box.

Mitrovic made no mistake to keep Al-Hilal's unbeaten campaign going.

The Serbian's spot-kick cancelled out Otavio's first-minute opener, with Ronaldo having set up his compatriot.

Champions Al-Hilal remain 12 points clear of Al-Nassr at the summit of the Pro League standings.

Data Debrief: Ronaldo the provider

Ronaldo leads the scoring charts in Saudi Arabia this season, though he had to settle for an assist on Friday.

That came from the only chance he created, with the 39-year-old limited to 25 touches, though he did have four shots.

Mohammed Fouzair equalised from the spot at the start of the second half, cancelling out the 39-year-old's first-half goal at Al Awal Park on Thursday.

Al-Nassr dominated the opening exchanges, and when the visitors struggled to clear their lines from a corner, Ronaldo towered over everyone in the box to nod home Sadio Mane's delivery.

They found themselves on the backfoot minutes into the second half though - Amir Sayoud's curling shot was saved, but Fouzair was dragged back by Aymeric Laporte when he tried to reach the rebound, resulting in the defender receiving a straight red card.

After a VAR review, the card was downgraded to a yellow and a penalty was awarded to Al-Raed. Fouzair then made no mistake from 12 yards, picking out the bottom-right corner.

Talisca struck the post as Al-Nassr searched for a winner, and Ronaldo thought he had found one with just under 15 minutes left. He curved his run in behind the defence to poke past Meshari Sunyur, who had looked unbeatable, but the forward was offside, and it did not count.

The hosts were unable to join Al-Taawoun on three points at the top of the table after their win earlier on Thursday. 

Data Debrief: Fine margins deny Ronaldo

After suffering disappointment in the Saudi Super Cup last weekend, Al-Nassr would have been keen to get off to a winning start in the league.

And they came close. They dominated throughout the game, having 28 shots to Al-Raed's seven, generating 2.18 expected goals.

Ronaldo now has 36 goals in the Saudi Pro League and was denied a 37th by the closest of margins in a frustrating day for the hosts.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was on target in either half at Al Awal Park, moving to 35 goals across the 2023-24 league campaign in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time after receiving a long ball from Mohammed Al-Fatil, before doubling his tally – and Al-Nassr's lead – with a header from Marcelo Brozovic's corner.

That second finish after Suwailem Al Manhali was dismissed for the visitors saw Ronaldo eclipse Abderrazak Hamdallah's 34-goal tally – in the 2018-19 season – for the most strikes in a single campaign.

Abdulrahman Ghareeb then added another from the penalty spot before Meshari Al Nemer made sure of three points after late goals from Farhah Al Shamrani and Fabinho had pulled Al-Ittihad back into contention.

Having already been unable to stop Al-Hilal secure the title, Al-Nassr finish second in the table – ending on 82 points after 26 wins from the 34-match campaign.

Data Debrief: Al-Nassr dominance pays off

Much will be made of the record-breaking Ronaldo, who has scored 50 goals in as many games across all competitions this season.

Yet Al-Nassr were dominant from the off in this one, mustering nine shots on target to Al-Ittihad's three, while accumulating 2.73 expected goals (xG) – far superior to the visitors' 1.43 xG.

The 35-year-old is the latest high-profile signing for the Khobar-based club, following the arrivals of Nacho and Koen Casteels from Real Madrid and Wolfsburg respectively.

Aubameyang joins after just one season with Marseille, for whom he scored 30 goals in 51 appearances while also becoming the record marksman in Europa League history.

A LaLiga title winner with Barcelona, the forward also won the DFB-Pokal during his time with Borussia Dortmund, and the FA Cup at Arsenal.

Aubameyang stepped onto the pitch for the first time with his new club during their pre-season friendly with Borussia Monchengladbach on Thursday.

The Saudi Pro League champions confirmed the 58-year-old's arrival on Saturday, with Blanc signing a two-year contract and the club holding an option for a further year.

Former France international Blanc was dismissed by Lyon in his last role, having stayed on for just under a year before his sacking came after losing three of four opening Ligue 1 matches in September 2023.

The former centre-back, who has also managed Paris Saint-Germain, is expected to make Houssem Aouar the first signing of his reign.

Aouar impressed for Lyon before earning a move to Roma, who are expected to part ways after just one season together following reports of a €12million deal plus add-ons.

Midfielder Aouar played for France before switching allegiances to Algeria, and the Les Bleus connection is said to have played a significant role in his move in tandem with Blanc's appointment.

Blanc also has fellow compatriots Benzema and Kante in his squad, as well as former Liverpool midfielder and Brazil international Fabinho.

Al-Ittihad pipped Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title last season, winning the competition for the first time in 15 years.

The Saudi Pro League champions confirmed the 58-year-old's arrival on Saturday, with Blanc signing a two-year contract and the club holding an option for a further year.

Former France international Blanc was dismissed by Lyon in his last role, having stayed on for just under a year before his sacking came after losing three of four opening Ligue 1 matches in September 2023.

The former centre-back, who has also managed Paris Saint-Germain, is expected to make Houssem Aouar the first signing of his reign.

Aouar impressed for Lyon before earning a move to Roma, who are expected to part ways after just one season together following reports of a €12million deal plus add-ons.

Midfielder Aouar played for France before switching allegiances to Algeria, and the Les Bleus connection is said to have played a significant role in his move in tandem with Blanc's appointment.

Blanc also has fellow compatriots Benzema and Kante in his squad, as well as former Liverpool midfielder and Brazil international Fabinho.

Al-Ittihad pipped Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title last season, winning the competition for the first time in 15 years.

The former Liverpool captain, as a long-time supporter of the LGBT+ community, has drawn widespread condemnation for his decision to move to a country where homosexuality is illegal.

However, Rodgers – who managed Henderson during his three years at Anfield – defended a player’s decision to choose where they ply their trade.

“It’s their profession, it’s their life so they have to do what’s best for them,” Rodgers told talkSPORT. “There are so many morality officers around the world nowadays that are judging people.

“But Jordan I know extremely well and I know the love he had and will always have for Liverpool.

“He was at the stage of his career where he probably wasn’t going to be the first name on the teamsheet any more.

“At 32 years of age, he’s won absolutely everything. He probably fancied a different challenge and out of respect, it probably didn’t feel right for him being at another Premier League club.

“So to go abroad and take on a new challenge clearly suited him.”

In his interview with The Athletic, Henderson stressed money was not a motivating factor for him and denied reports he was earning £700,000-a-week.

But the wealth of the Saudi Pro League, particularly Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli who are backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, has undoubtedly had a massive impact on this summer’s transfer window and will on windows to come.

“It’s definitely something that makes players wobble because of the money that’s talked about and what it can do for players and the legacy it can create for their families for years down the line,” Rodgers added.

“What makes (Saudi Arabia) dangerous is not only the money, they have a plan. The plan is attracting top players and looking to get top managers out there.”

Carvalhal has been out of work since leaving Celta Vigo in June, having kept the club in La Liga courtesy of a dramatic final-day win over Barcelona.

Prior to his stint in Spain, Carvalhal led Rio Ave to a club-record tally of 55 points in Portugal's Primeira Liga in 2019-20, before moving to Braga and winning the Taca de Portugal the following season. 

The Portuguese coach is no stranger to the Middle East, having managed UAE Pro League outfit Al Wahda in 2022, and he would not necessarily be against a move to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabian clubs have spent heavily in the transfer market this year, acquiring the likes of Karim Benzema and Neymar after the country's Public Investment Fund took control of four of the league's biggest clubs.

Though many have expressed concern about the financial power of Saudi clubs and the potential for the league to act as a "sportswashing" vehicle for the state, Carvalhal would be open to a move if presented with an attractive project. 

"We never know. We never know. I have said that if the project is structured, let's see," Carvalhal told Stats Perform at the Thinking Football Summit when asked if he would manage in the league.

"It has not been a long time. If the project is to buy good players, with good coaches and also to develop youth football, if there are these kinds of projects in the future, I believe they can do something important.

"I remember China six years ago or seven years ago, they bet with very good coaches, very good players and after one moment they decided, 'no, we don't want this anymore, we are spending too much money', and they finished. 

"It's over to everybody [in Saudi Arabia], let's see if this is consistent, if it will be here for 15 or 20 years. 

"It is very welcome what they are doing – if it's something circumstantial. It's something that we don't know [yet]. "

Carvalhal's Celta side was built largely around the talents of Veiga, who scored twice as they upset Barcelona to clinch survival back in June.

Veiga was linked with Serie A champions Napoli before opting to join Al-Ahli, who also signed Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy, Allan Saint-Maximin and Franck Kessie in the recent window.

Carvalhal is proud to have played a role in Veiga's development, highlighting the way his move brought much-needed funds to Celta.

"Gabri Veiga for Celta Vigo in the B team was like a striker, then we decided to put him in the second midfielder [role] because the way that he plays there, he can score goals and give assists," he said.

"It was a big challenge for him because he started as a striker and after with us, we played with two midfielders, and he was one of the midfielders. 

"He has improved to another level in this kind of position, with the goals and breaking lines. 

"Of course, when he finished the season and we saw that big clubs wanted him, he moved to Saudi Arabia as an option.

"Big money came into the club, of course. We are very proud and very satisfied about everything."

Celta have four points from five matches under Carvalhal's successor Rafael Benitez, who has become the first coach in the club's history to lose his first three home league games at the helm.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward had his treble by half-time, following up his four-goal haul two weeks previously against Al Wehda.

Ronaldo's first against Damak was an 18th-minute penalty, awarded after a handball by Farouk Chafai, while his second was a fierce left-footed strike from 20 yards five minutes later as defenders stood off.

The hat-trick was sealed in the 44th minute after a fast break out of defence, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb driving down the left before feeding a pass through to Ayman Yahya.

Yahya might have shot but elected to lay the ball off for 38-year-old Ronaldo to smash home from 10 yards.

Ronaldo hit 44 hat-tricks in his legendary Madrid career, becoming the Spanish giants' record scorer, while he also netted three across two spells with United, and added three trebles during a three-year stint at Juventus.

Dutch former Liverpool and Newcastle midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum gave Al-Ettifaq the lead in the 18^th minute before Craig Goodwin equalized for Al-Wehda in the 37^th minute to ensure the teams went into halftime locked at 1-1.

Six minutes after the restart, Goodwin got his second to give Al-Wehda a 2-1 lead. With nine minutes left, Wijnaldum got Al-Ettifaq’s equalizer.

The game seemed to be heading for a draw before, in the eighth minute of added time, Gray cut inside on his right foot and unleashed a fierce strike from just outside the box into the bottom left corner of the goal to give Al-Ettifaq the 3-2 win.

Al-Ettifaq are now seventh in the league standings with 20 points from 11 games.

Daniels last year became the first openly gay active British male professional footballer since Justin Fashanu in 1990.

Former Liverpool captain Henderson had been a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community before his decision to join Saudi club Al-Ettifaq from Liverpool in the summer.

Homosexuality is illegal in the Gulf state, leading some to accuse the England midfielder of turning his back on the community.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newsbeat, Daniels said: “He (Henderson) messaged me when I came out. He was backing me and said: ‘We’re proud of what you’ve done.’ And seeing him move to Saudi, it kind of like, slaps me in my face really.

“Obviously it was frustrating. But I guess the money pays well, and money must mean more to people.”

Henderson’s former Liverpool and England team-mate Steven Gerrard is currently his manager in the Saudi Pro League.

Daniels, who made his senior debut for Blackpool in May 2022, said Gerrard had personally reached out out to him following his decision to come out.

He added: “I met him in person and he said: ‘If you ever want to get in contact then message me’. But he moved over (to Saudi Arabia). It was frustrating”

Saudi Arabia is the sole bidder to host the 2034 men’s World Cup, 12 years after Qatar – where homosexuality is also illegal – staged the global tournament.

Daniels said he “wouldn’t feel safe” travelling to such places.

He said: “The World Cup that happened in Qatar, the one that is going to happen in Saudi Arabia, for me if I was there I wouldn’t feel safe, so that’s just putting your football in jeopardy.”

Daniels believes his decision to come out 18 months ago has helped his career.

“It has been crazy since coming out,” he added.

“I didn’t think it would blow up as much as it did. The reception I’ve had, the people I’ve met, it’s been a crazy experience.

“Coming out was the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m playing better now.”

Jorge Jesus' side finished the league campaign unbeaten across the 34-game season, though needed late heroics from top scorer Mitrovic to snatch all three points.

Mohamed Kanno opened the scoring for the visiting champions in the first half but Yahya Naji's second-half leveller pegged Al-Hilal back at King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium.

Yet Mitrovic provided the decisive moment in the 92nd minute, converting a Mohammed Al Burayk assist for his 28th league goal of the season.

The Serbia international ranks only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in this campaign's scoring charts, after the Al-Nassr forward claimed a piece of Saudi League history in a 4-2 victory over Al-Ittihad.

Ronaldo moved past Abderrazak Hamdallah's 34-goal tally – in the 2018-19 season – after his deadly double took him to 35 strikes and broke the single-season scoring record in the competition.

Victory for Al-Nassr means they finish second behind the impressive Al-Hilal, while Al-Ahli had already secured third in the standings before their 1-0 victory over Al-Fayha.

Roberto Firmino scored the only goal of the game in that narrow triumph, finding the net after 85 minutes at Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium.

At the other end of the table, Abha Club – who had Marcel Tisserand sent off late on – suffered heartbreak on the final day after losing 2-1 to bottom-placed Al-Hazem to seal their relegation.

Ahmed Abdu opened the scoring to boost Abha's survival hopes but second-half goals from Muhammed Badamosi and Mohammed Al Thani proved their undoing.

Al-Akhoud beat the drop after overcoming Al-Tai, who went down with Abha and Al-Hazem, 2-0 thanks to goals from Saviour Godwin and Leandre Tawamba at Prince Abdul Aziz bin Musa'ed Stadium.