Al Nassr Edge Damac In High-Stakes Saudi Pro League Clash

When the Saudi Pro League fixture list rolled into Abha on January 21, 2026, few doubted that all eyes would be on the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium. Al Nassr, third in the league and hungry for momentum, squared off against Damac FC, a club desperately clawing for survival just above the relegation zone. The stakes? Immense. The tension? Palpable. And as the match unfolded, it was clear that neither side would leave the pitch without a story to tell.

Coming into Matchday 17, Al Nassr sat on 34 points from 15 games—11 wins, a draw, and three losses—just three points behind second-placed Al Ahli, who had played one more match. League leaders Al Hilal, meanwhile, had set a blistering pace with 41 points from 15 outings, leaving Al Nassr with little room for error if they harbored championship ambitions. Damac, in stark contrast, languished in 15th with only 11 points, the result of a solitary win, eight draws, and six losses. Two points above the drop zone, Damac’s season had been defined by grit and, at times, heartbreak.

For Al Nassr, the previous week had brought a much-needed boost. Their hard-fought 3-2 victory over Al Shabab snapped a four-match winless streak and injected fresh belief into a squad that had started the campaign with ten straight wins but then stuttered. Kingsley Coman and Abdulrahman Ghareeb found the net, with an own goal from Saad Balobaid helping secure the points. Still, defensive frailties lingered; the team had conceded 17 goals, 11 of those in their last five matches. Their attack, however, remained the league’s most potent with 42 goals, spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix, who together had contributed a staggering 67% of Al Nassr’s tally.

Damac’s recent form painted a bleaker picture. They had not won in their last eight home fixtures and were fresh from a 1-1 draw against Al Fayha—a result that at least halted a four-game losing skid. Scoring had been a major issue, with just 12 goals all season, making them the league’s second-lowest scorers. The defense, too, was porous, having conceded 26 goals. Yet, the squad showed resilience, and with Valentin Vada’s six goals and two assists, there was always the potential for a spark.

Team news ahead of kickoff revealed some key absences. Damac missed Nabil Alioui and David Kaiki due to injury, though defender Abdelkader Bedrane returned from suspension. For Al Nassr, Sami Al-Najei and Abdulmalik Al-Jaber were sidelined, but the returns of Marcelo Brozovic and goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi from suspension offered a timely boost. Most importantly, Cristiano Ronaldo was fit to play after a brief precautionary rest earlier in the week, much to the relief of fans and coach Jorge Jesus alike. According to Al-Riyadiyah, Ronaldo’s absence from a training session was “purely preventive, aimed at managing fatigue from two matches in quick succession.”

The official lineups confirmed both teams would field their strongest available elevens. For Damac: Kewin in goal; a back four of Sanousi Al-Hawsawi, Jamal Harkass, Abdelkader Bedrane (captain), and Abdulrahman Al Obaid; a midfield quartet of Abdullah Al Qahtani, Riyadh Sharahili, Morlaye Sylla, and Dhari Sayyar Al-Anazi; and up front, Ahmed Hazzaa and Valentin Vada. Al Nassr countered with Bento Krepski between the sticks; defenders Sultan Al Ghanam, Mohamed Simakan, Inigo Martinez, and Saad Al-Nasser; midfielders Kingsley Coman, Angelo Gabriel, Marcelo Brozovic, and Abdulrahman Ghareeb; and the dynamic duo of Joao Felix and Cristiano Ronaldo (captain) leading the line.

The match got underway with Al Nassr immediately seizing the initiative. Within five minutes, Abdulrahman Ghareeb—making his first league start of the season—found the net after a slick combination with Kingsley Coman, who delivered a cross that ricocheted fortuitously to Ghareeb’s feet. The Saudi forward’s finish was clinical, and Al Nassr were up 1-0 before Damac had time to settle. “Ghareeb puts the visitors ahead! ... he drove it low past the Damac keeper after some terrific footwork,” reported the live blog.

Al Nassr continued to boss possession, with Ronaldo looking sharp and Joao Felix rattling the crossbar as the half wore on. Damac, meanwhile, struggled to create clear chances, and their only real moment of controversy came when a handball shout against Harkass was waved away after a VAR review. At the break, it was 1-0 to Al Nassr, but the visitors knew they needed a second to put the game to bed.

The second half began with Damac making a substitution at right back. But it was Al Nassr who struck again just five minutes after the restart. Joao Felix whipped in a low cross from the left, and Cristiano Ronaldo—ever the predator—finished at the near post for his 16th league goal of the season. “Goal number 960 for Cristiano Ronaldo, who taps in from the near post after a fine low cross from Joao Felix. The Portuguese connection at the top does it again for Al-Nassr,” the commentary enthused.

Damac, to their credit, refused to fold. In the 68th minute, they earned a corner and Jamal Harkass rose above the crowd to head home, halving the deficit and igniting hope among the home faithful. It was only the sixth time Damac had scored at home all season, but suddenly, the match was alive again.

Al Nassr had chances to extend their lead—Ronaldo even had the ball in the net again, only for the flag to go up for offside. Damac pressed for an equalizer, but Al Nassr’s defense held firm, with Bento Krepski making a couple of crucial interventions in the dying minutes.

As the final whistle sounded, Al Nassr had secured a vital 2-1 win. The victory propelled them to 37 points, drawing level with Al Ahli and keeping them within striking distance of Al Hilal at the top of the table. For Damac, the defeat left them perilously close to the relegation zone, their fight for survival far from over.

“It wasn’t pretty, nor were Al-Nassr at their best, but these are three vital points for Jorge Jesus’ side as they look to keep the title race alive,” summarized the post-match analysis. With both teams now looking ahead to the next round of fixtures, the Saudi Pro League’s drama shows no sign of letting up.