Saudi League Standings After Ronaldo Sparks Comeback Win for Al Nassr As Benzema Scores Own Goal

The Saudi Pro League's return following the recent international break was characterized by a whirlwind of emotions reverberating across various match centres.

Notably, the league leaders and 18-time champions, Al-Hilal, managed to retain their stronghold at the top of the standings despite the absence of star acquisition Neymar, who sustained what appears to be a season-ending injury during international duty with Brazil.

In a contrasting turn of events, both Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr and Karim Benzema's Al-Ittihad encountered varying outcomes on match day 10, amplifying the drama of the league's resumption.

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Sports Brief unpacks the unfolding action as the tenth match fixture concluded with an unexpected twist, as Al Riyadh delivered a surprising upset over Al Ettifaq.

Recap of match day ten results

The title defence of the reigning champions, Al-Ittihad, faced another setback as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Taawoun at the King Abdullah Stadium in Buraidah.

The match witnessed a dramatic turn when former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema found himself as both the hero and the villain, breaking the game's deadlock with a powerful header but subsequently equalizing with an own goal.

Meanwhile, in Riyadh, Aleksander Mitrovic continued to display his goal-scoring prowess, securing three vital points for Al-Hilal with a decisive solitary strike against Al Khaleej in the absence of Neymar Jr, as cited by Arab News.

Across town, Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr teammates fought tenaciously to overturn a one-goal deficit, ultimately securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Damac, Sportstar reports.

Although Georges Kevin N'Koudou opened the scoring just before half-time, Anderson Talisca's clever free-kick levelled the game, paving the way for Ronaldo to seal the win with a well-executed set-piece.

In Jeddah, Al Ahli continued their winning streak post the international break, claiming a comfortable 3-1 victory against Al Wehda, with star signings Allan Saint-Maximin and Riyad Mahrez contributing to the scoresheet.

The standout performance of the match day unfolded on Sunday, October 22, as Al Riyadh delivered a surprising upset, securing a victory against Steven Gerrard's star-studded Al Ettifaq side at the King Fahd International Stadium.

Khalid Al Shuwayyi's 18th-minute strike proved to be the deciding factor, despite Ettifaq's numerous attempts at goal yielding no results.

Saudi League standings

The top three positions remained unaltered following match day 10, with Al-Hilal steadfastly holding onto the top spot. The Blue Waves continued their impressive form, securing 26 points out of a possible 30, with only four points dropped thus far.

Al Taawoun's strong start to the season persisted through match day, keeping them within touching distance of the Blue Waves, two points adrift but firmly maintaining their second-place position.

Despite Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo netting his 11th goal of the season, the team remained in third place with 22 points, sharing the same tally with Al-Ahli.

On the other hand, Al-Ittihad slipped away from the top four, currently standing in fifth place with 20 points.

Maintaining their positions, Al Fateh, Al Ettifaq, and Al Wehda held the sixth, seventh, and eighth spots, respectively, as they strived to narrow the gap on the leading pack.

In the relegation zone, there was a shift as Al Hazm and Al Raed swapped positions following Al Raed's first win of the season against the same opponent in a thrilling seven-goal encounter.

Al Hazm's point tally rose to six, while Al Raed secured a modest five points after 10 games. Meanwhile, Al Tai occupied the 16th position with seven points.

Ronaldo's heartfelt message to fans after comeback

Sports Brief reported earlier about Cristiano Ronaldo's heartfelt message to Al-Nassr's faithful following a thrilling comeback in which he converted a wonderful free-kick goal.

Both the goals scored by Al-Nassr were from set-pieces as Brazillian forward Anderson Talisca led the charge in probably inspiring Ronaldo's similar goal.

The Portuguese took to social media to express delight in the victory, and the atmosphere and acknowledged the fans as well in the process.