Al-Nassr were seconds away from clinching their first Saudi Pro League title since 2019 when goalkeeper Bento fumbled a late throw-in into his own net, turning a potential victory into a 1-1 draw at Al-Awwal Park on Tuesday night.

The own goal took place in the ninth minute of stoppage time and handed Al-Hilal a dramatic equaliser that kept the title race alive heading into the final week of the season.

The result leaves Al-Nassr top of the table on 83 points, with Al-Hilal second on 78. Al-Hilal hold a game in hand, and winning their remaining two fixtures would hand them the title regardless of what Al-Nassr do on the final day.

Both sides fielded their strongest available lineups, though Al-Nassr were without Abdullah Al-Khaibari and Angelo through injury.

The opening half was played at a frantic pace, with both teams pushing hard in transition. Al-Hilal threatened first through Karim Benzema, who got on the end of a low cross only for Bento to produce a strong save. Cristiano Ronaldo responded moments later, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic thought he had set up the opener for Benzema in the 18th minute, though VAR again intervened to chalk the goal off for offside.

Al-Nassr took the lead in the 37th minute. A corner bounced through the area and Mohammed Simakan reacted quickest, forcing the loose ball into the net to send the home crowd into celebration.

The second half was far more cautious. Ronaldo found space inside the box early on but fired over the crossbar, and clear-cut chances dried up as both sides grew increasingly wary of making a costly mistake.

Al-Hilal controlled possession after the break, with Benzema and Salem Al-Dawsari combining at times, but they rarely threatened Bento. The introductions of Marcos Leonardo and Sultan Mandash did little to change the picture.

Ronaldo was withdrawn late on, replaced by Abdullah Al-Hamdan, and left to loud cheers after rallying the crowd.

Al-Nassr looked set to hold on until Bento’s stoppage-time blunder gifted Al-Hilal a point that transformed the title picture entirely.

If Al-Hilal beat NEOM on May 16, the title will be decided on May 21, when Al-Nassr face relegation battlers Damac and Al-Hilal take on 10th-place Al-Fayha.