Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr will have to go again next season to contend for the league title after it fell out of contention for the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League championship on Sunday.
Table-topper Al Ittihad rode on a Karim Benzema brace to defeat Al Feiha 3-0 and consolidate its position in first place. The side now has 74 points from 31 matches, while Al Nassr can reach a maximum of 72 points with four games remaining.
The last time Al Nassr won the Pro League was in the 2018-19 season. Since then, defending champion Al Hilal has won four times and Ittihad has clinched the title once.
Al Nassr, now sitting in fifth and out of the title race, faces Al Akhdoud on Monday to increase its chances of clinching one of the AFC Champions League Elite spots available.
How can Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr qualify for AFC Champions League Elite?
As per the 2024-25 slot allocation for the AFC competitions, three teams from the Saudi Pro League can book a spot in the AFC Champions League Elite. These are the league’s top three which will qualify for the continental event.
The winner of the King’s Cup gets a spot in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) – Asia’s second tier of club football.
However, if the winner of the King’s Cup happens to be a team present in the top three of the league table then the fourth placed side will qualify for ACL 2.
As it stands, this year’s King’s Cup finalists – Al Ittihad and Al Qadsiah – are also contenders to finish in the league’s top three.
For Al Nassr, it has ensure it wins its remaining games and hope results of teams above it go its way. A runner-up finish in the league will confirm a spot in Champions League Elite.
However if the winner between Ittihad and Qadsiah in the Cup is present in the league’s top three, and Nassr sits outside of the top three, then a fourth-placed finish can give Ronaldo’s side a place in ACL 2.
Indian sides Mohun Bagan Super Giant (Group Stage) and FC Goa (Qualifying) will be playing in the AFC Champions League Two next season.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com