"RIYADH IS YELLOW AND BLUE!" - Cristiano Ronaldo reacts on social media after Al-Nassr's 3-1 win over rivals Al-Hilal

Modified Apr 05, 2025 02:30 GMT

Following Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win over Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League on Friday (April 4), Cristiano Ronaldo made a social media post. Stefano Pioli's men were in their finest form as they registered their first Riyadh derby win in the two sides' last eight meetings.

During the game, the Knights of Najd were the first to open the scoring through Ali Alhassan in the first half's added time (45+4’). The midfielder connected with a short corner from Marcelo Brozovic and curled his shot into the top-right corner.

Ronaldo (47’) doubled Al-Nassr’s lead as he placed his shot into the bottom-left corner after receiving a remarkable pass from Sadio Mane. However, Ali Al-Bulayhi (62’) directed his header into the net following a cross from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reducing Al-Hilal’s deficit.

In the 83rd minute, Al Hilal’s Moteb Al-Harbi was penalized for touching the ball with his hand in the penalty box. Five minutes later (88'), Ronaldo converted his spot-kick, making the final scoreline 3-1.

In the game's aftermath, Ronaldo celebrated his side's win on X, writing:

"RIYADH IS YELLOW AND BLUE!."

Expand Tweet

The Knights of Najd have now registered 54 points from 26 Saudi Pro League games this season and are ranked third in the standings. They are three points behind second-placed Al-Hilal and seven points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.

How did Cristiano Ronaldo perform for Al-Nassr against Al-Hilal?

Al Hilal v Al Nassr - Saudi Pro League - Source: Getty

The Portuguese icon was one of the masterminds behind his side's win in the Riyadh derby against Al-Hilal. He also scored a brace that made it difficult for Al-Hilal to salvage anything from the game.

In his stint, Ronaldo maintained a passing accuracy of 74% (14/19). He delivered two key passes, registered three shots on target, and created one big chance, earning him a rating of 8.8/10 (via Sofascore).

The 40-year-old has now bagged 21 goals and three assists in 25 Saudi Pro League games this season. He's also the league's top scorer in 2024-25 and gearing up to win the Golden Boot for the second straight season.

Al-Nassr will take on Al-Riyadh in their next league game on April 12 at the Al-Awwal Park.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

Know More

Edited by Parag Jain