Sultan Al Ghannam’s injury-time strike sealed a dramatic 3-2 win for Al-Nassr over Damac on Tuesday, keeping them just ahead of a fast-closing Al-Ahli in the race for the Saudi Pro League’s top three.

Despite coming into the match as clear favourites, Al-Nassr were caught cold early on as Ramzi Solan fired the hosts ahead in the 18th minute.

Former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte quickly equalised though, turning in from a corner in the 25th minute.

Al-Nassr pushed for a second, with Jhon Duran heavily involved in attack, though the Colombian struggled to convert his chances or truly trouble goalkeeper Florin Nita.

The breakthrough finally came in the 70th minute when substitute Otavio set up Ali Al Hassan, who rifled a stunning shot into the top corner. But the lead didn’t last long as Damac responded through Nicolae Stanciu, who cut in from the right and fired a lovely effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.

Al-Nassr probed hard for a winner in the latter stages and were rewarded for their persistence with an unlikely goal from right-back Al Ghannam, who scrambled the ball over the line from very close range in the 94th minute to seal the win.

Damac stay in 11th place in the standings while Al-Nassr move up to third place with 60 points, two behind second-placed Al-Hilal.

|| Full time @AlNassrFC 3:2 #Damac pic.twitter.com/AOQOZCSEev
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) April 22, 2025

Al-Ahli, however, continue to breathe down their necks after a dramatic 3-2 win of their own against Al-Wehda.

Roger Ibanez opened the scoring in the sixth minute, reacting quickly after Riyad Mahrez’s corner kick found Ivan Toney’s head. The Englishman was denied by the post, though Ibanez was there to swiftly capitalise on a rebound.

Gabri Veiga set Toney up again shortly after, though the striker failed to find the target. Al-Ahli’s dominance continued after the break as Mahrez provided once again from a corner for Wenderson Galeno, who doubled their advantage just before the hour mark.

A tense finish awaited though, as Abdullah Al Hafith pulled one back in the 81st minute for Al-Wehda, though Mahrez added to his assist with a goal, sliding the ball into the net from just outside the six-yard box.

Ala’a Al Hajji’s lovely response in stoppage-time wasn’t enough to spark an Al-Wehda comeback as Al-Ahli held firm to take all three points, putting them within touching distance of Al-Nassr.

Perfection pic.twitter.com/OjXe6oJN98
— Al-Ahli Saudi Club (@ALAHLI_FCEN) April 22, 2025

Data debrief: Fine margins for Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli

Al-Nassr may have left Damac with three goals and three points, but the numbers suggest it wasn’t as convincing as the scoreline implies. Despite their 3-2 win, Al-Nassr posted a modest expected goals (xG) value of just 1.08, indicating a clinical edge rather than sustained attacking dominance.

They registered 12 shots, four on target—almost identical to Damac’s 13 shots and four on target, though the hosts edged them out with a superior xG of 1.44.

Elsewhere, Al-Ahli were more efficient in their 3-2 win over Al-Wehda, generating a strong xG of 2.48. Much of their attacking threat came through Mahrez, who delivered another influential display.

The former Manchester City forward led his side with two shots (one on target), while managing six touches in Al-Wehda’s box and five final third entries.