The top two teams meet next week, and both warmed-up for the encounter in fine fashion as the chasing pack lost further ground on the title chasers
The final international break of 2023 is over, and the Saudi Pro League returned with a bang, with the nine matches in Round 14 returning 35 goals, including the biggest-ever win in league history.
That record now belongs to leaders Al-Hilal, who ran out 9-0 winners over Al-Hazm to maintain their four-point lead over Al-Nassr – who beat Al-Akhdoud 3-0 themselves – ahead of the pair's huge clash coming up this Friday.
It is looking increasingly like the battle for the title will be a two-horse race, with Nassr now seven points clear of the chasing pack after the five teams directly below them all failed to win upon their return to action. That included Al-Ittihad, whose first game under new manager Marcelo Gallardo ended in a 1-1 draw with Al-Ettifaq which keeps the defending champions in fourth place and leaves them 13 points behind the league leaders.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…
WINNER: Georginio Wijnaldum/Al-Ettifaq
Though Al-Ettifaq find themselves languishing in seventh place in the league, there is no doubt that the club's summer signings have all made a big impact for Steven Gerrard's side and are not the reason for their disappointing league position.
One of the most impressive has been Georginio Wijnaldum, who has now scored six in all competitions after he opened the scoring against Al-Ittihad from close range.
Since leaving Liverpool in 2021, Wijnaldum's career has been defined by injuries and underwhelming performances while at Paris Saint-Germain and Roma, but the Dutchman looks to be getting back to his best in the Middle East.
AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Karim Benzema
There was a real belief that Karim Benzema would finally explode in the Pro League after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Al-Ittihad, and the early signs were good after he netted a hat-trick in the final game before the international break.
However, if his performance against Al-Ettifaq on Friday is anything to go by, then that might not be the case. In Marcelo Gallardo's first game in charge of the defending champions, Benzema looked off the pace throughout, and it was left to his strike partner, Abderrazak Hamdallah, to rescue a point.
That said, Ittihad do have a relatively kind run of fixtures coming up ahead of the Club World Cup, and Benzema will be hoping to wrack up the goals and fire himself back into the form against some of the Pro League's lesser lights.
WINNER: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is at an age now where he very rarely dominates for a full 90 minutes anymore, but such is the Portuguese legend's talent, he can still be the defining presence in a match in which he is largely quiet.
That was certainly the case in Al-Nassr's win over Al-Akhdoud on Friday, as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was relatively anonymous for the first hour, before producing two stunning moments of quality to ensure everyone left the game talking about Ronaldo's brilliance.
Of his two goals, the best was his outstanding lob from almost 40 yards that secured the 3-0 victory and took his Pro League tally for the season to 15 from just 13 games, and leaves him four clear in the race for the Golden Boot.
WINNER: Al-Hilal
With Al-Nassr having already won and knowing they couldn't afford to slip up ahead of next week's top-of-the-table clash with Ronaldo and co, Al-Hilal might have felt some pressure despite Saturday's opponents Al-Hazm languishing in the relegation zone.
However, if they did, it didn't show, as Jorge Jesus' side ran out 9-0 winners to record the biggest margin of victory in Pro League history.
A number of players starred for the league leaders, with Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring for the fifth game in a row, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic returning from injury with a goal and an assist, and winger Michael providing two assists in a bright performance.
It was Brazilian forward Malcom, though, who ended up grabbing the headlines by netting his second league hat-trick of the season as Neymar's compatriot again ensured that the injured former PSG star would not be missed.
