Ronaldo arrived in Riyadh in January after he was released from his contract with English Premier League club Manchester United and had to settle for second place in Saudi Arabia’s 16-team league. Al-Nasr’s 1-1 draw with Ettifaq meant that Al-Ittihad’s 3-0 victory over Al-Feiha gave the team from Jeddah a five-point lead with one game remaining and its first league title since 2009.
Al Nassr dominated the eastern city of Dammam, but lost just before halftime when Youssef Niakate scored for Ettifaq from close range. After 56 minutes, Al-Nassr evened the score with a strike from former Bayern midfielder Luis Gustavo.
Ronaldo has scored 14 goals in 16 league games since his debut in January, but this time he failed to score, and Gustavo’s second-half strike was cancelled out due to offside 10 minutes into the match.
Al-Ittihad won easily thanks to two goals from Brazilian forward Romarinho and a strike from Ahmed Sharahili in the third minute. The team, led by former Wolverhampton and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo, won its ninth league title.
I want to thank the players and fans for their support this season, everyone has worked very hard from the start, Santo said. The early goal was very important, and after we scored, we calmed down.
Defending champion Al Hilal moved up to third place with a 3-0 win over Abha.
As a result, PSG scored 85 points, four points ahead of RC Lens, who secured second place and a place in next season’s Champions League – the first for St. and Or in 21 years – with a 3-0 win over AC Ajaccio at a hot Bollaert-Delelis stadium.
It wasn’t perfect, but this title belongs to the players. Being French champion is always something, said coach Christophe Galtier.
From a personal point of view, I really appreciate it.
Asked about his future at the club after one season at the helm, Galtier said: I read a lot here and there, but there’s a difference between what’s written and what actually happens.
Olympique Marseille finishes third with 73 points after a 2-1 home loss to Stade Brestois.
Lille is in fourth place with 66 points after a pair of Jonathan David penalties helped them to a 2-1 home win over relegation-threatened Nantes.
Stade Renne jumped Monaco into fifth place thanks to a 2-0 win over the principality, which is behind on goal difference with 65 points, leaving the battle for a place in the Europa League to be decided in the last round of matches.
The fourth-place team will qualify for the Europa League group stage, where it will join French Cup winners Toulouse.
In Strasbourg, PSG disappointed as usual, until Messi opened the scoring with a right-footed shot into the top corner after Mbappe’s pass in the penalty area.
Strasbourg had chances, but they didn’t capitalize on them, securing their place in the elite for next season.
Troyes, Ajaccio and Angers have already been eliminated from Ligue 2 and will be joined by either Auxerre or Nantes.
Nantes is two points behind Burgundy and will host Angers, while Auxerre will host Lens.
Lens won a trip to Europe’s best club tournament, as Lois Openda became the club’s top scorer in the top flight with 20 goals, equaling Roger Boly, who reached that figure in the 1993-94 season.
Openda scored his third goal from the penalty spot after Deiver Machado and Adrien Tomasson put the hosts ahead in the first half.
It puts me on par with a club legend, I’m so happy, said Belgian striker Openda. We did it all together, we were so strong at home this season, said Lens defender Kevin Dan.so.
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