Saudi Pro League: How It Looks After Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Missed Matchday 17

• Al-Hilal continue to assert their dominance in the Saudi Pro League and occupy the top spot
• Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr trail the SPL leaders by 10 points, having played one game less
• Sports Brief looks at all the action that took place in the Saudi top flight league this weekend

Runaway Saudi Pro League leaders, Al-Hilal continued their unbeaten streak with a comfortable victory against Al-Wehda, widening their lead at the top of the table to an impressive 10 points.

Meanwhile, Al-Nassr, their city rivals and strong contenders for the title, had a break on matchday 17 as opponents Al-Ittihad participated in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.

As the first round of the Saudi Pro League approaches its conclusion, Sports Brief gives an overview of the match results from various venues.

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Recap of SPL matchday 17 results

Al-Hilal, boasting 18 titles and being strong contenders to reclaim their throne from Al-Ittihad, effortlessly dominated Al-Wehda at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium.

Goals by Saud Abdulhamid - his debut goal of the 2023/2024 season - and Aleksandar Mitrovic secured a three-point victory for Jorge Jesus' charges, further solidifying their lead in the league standings, per Arab News.

For Mitrovic, the former Fulham forward, it marked his eighth consecutive game finding the net, tallying an impressive 23 goals in 25 matches for the Blue Waves across all competitions, as reported by Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, after a challenging phase, Al-Ahli have rediscovered their early-season form, delivering a commanding first-half performance against Al-Feiha.

The Jeddah-based club cruised to a 4-0 victory, with a brace from Saudi star, Firas Al-Buraikan and individual strikes from Riyad Mahrez and Ali Majrashi, as cited by Soccertonic.

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It was a second win in three games for Matthias Jaissle's side, having netted an impressive 10 goals during this period.

Meanwhile, Al-Ettifaq continued their dismal run with a 0-2 loss to Al Taawon in Dammam. Steven Gerrard's squad suffered their seventh winless outing, heightening pressure on the Liverpool legend's managerial position.

Additionally, Al-Taee, after securing two consecutive wins, faced back-to-back defeats as newly promoted side Al-Akhdoud secured victory with Florin Tanase's second-half goal, sealing the win for the Najran-based club.

In other matchups, Abha and Al-Hazem ended in a 1-1 draw at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium, mirroring the scoreline between Al-Fateh and Al-Shabab on Friday, December 15.

Regrettably, the league's leading scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from matchday 17 as Al-Nassr's opponents, Al-Ittihad participated in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, which Saudi Arabia is hosting.

Saudi Pro League standings

Ever since Al-Hilal claimed the top spot from Al-Ittihad, the Riyadh powerhouse has solidified its position, amassing an impressive 47 points from 17 games and showing no signs of slowing down.

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Following in second place, Al-Nassr, aiming for their first league victory since the 2018/2019 season, trails significantly with 37 points, sitting 10 points behind Al-Hilal, albeit with one less game played.

Al-Ahli, one of the four clubs backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, holds third place with 34 points, sharing the same points as Al-Taawoun, positioned fourth due to an inferior goal difference.

Defending champions Al-Ittihad, despite managerial changes, sits in a disappointing fifth place with 28 points, six points away from the top four and a substantial 19 points behind Al-Hilal.

Damac, Al-Fateh, Al-Ettifaq, and Al-Wehda complete the top half of the SPL.

Meanwhile, the bottom of the table sees little change, as Abha (16th) holds 14 points, Al-Raed (17th) has 13 points, and Al-Hazem (18th) trails with 12 points, looking poised to be relegated.

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Ronaldo admits he's enjoying Saudi stay

Sports Brief also previously reported that Cristiano Ronaldo is loving life in Saudi Arabia following his trend-setting move to the Middle East in January.

There were questions about whether he was making the right move when he joined the Saudi Pro League but has proven all his doubters wrong so far.