da cassino： The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored and assisted in his side's latest win, but coaches at some of the league's other big-spenders are struggling

da luck： We're well into the second quarter of the Saudi Pro League season now, and the title race is beginning to take real shape, with it looking increasingly like it will be between two teams: Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.

Hilal remain four points clear and the league's only unbeaten side through 12 games thanks to their 2-0 win over Al-Fateh on Friday, which Nassr were then able to match just over 24 hours later as Cristiano Ronaldo helped fire them past Al-Khaleej.

Al-Ahli look like being the pair's closest challengers after they moved into a share of third-place with surprise package Al-Taawoun following a 3-0 win over Al-Riyadh on Sunday, but it was another weekend to forget for defending champions Al-Ittihad, whose 1-0 loss to Al-Shadab leaves them 11 points adrift of the leaders after five games without a win.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the latest round of Saudi Pro League action…

WINNER: Cristiano Ronaldo

Given the underwhelming displays that some of the Pro League's summer imports have put in since their arrival, it is certainly worth noting just how dominant Ronaldo has been thus far in 2023-24.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner proved to be difference for Al-Nassr once again on Saturday, as he opened the scoring with a superb long-range strike against Al-Khaleej for his 400th goal since turning 30, before providing the assist for Aymeric Laporte to seal the points in the second half.

Ronaldo has now netted 12 league goals so far this season – at least three more than any other player – and has helped carry Nassr on a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions. They may remain four points adrift of the leaders, but with the Portuguese legend in this form, don't bet against them celebrating a title win in May.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Nuno Espirito Santo

Just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse for Al-Ittihad manager Nuno, he saw his side slip to a 1-0 defeat against mid-table Al-Shadab that stretches their winless run in the league to five games.

The former Tottenham boss has been coming under increasing pressure in recent weeks amid reports of him falling out with his players in the wake of their poor results, and if Friday's game is anything to go by, things are unlikely to improve any time soon.

The defending champions already look like they need a miracle to even challenge for the title, never mind win it, and it feels like the only thing keeping Nuno from the sack is just how close the upcoming Club World Cup is, with the Ittihad decision-makers keen to avoid instability ahead of the competition.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Salem Al-Dawsari

Fresh from being named Asian Player of the Year earlier in the week, Salem Al-Dawsari was keen to celebrate his success in Al-Hilal's game against Al-Fateh on Friday, and though he had to wait until late on, the forward did just that.

Al-Dawsari, who is regarded as the most talented Saudi player of his generation, is being required to step up and play an even bigger role than expected for Hilal following Neymar's likely season-ending injury, and it was he who secured victory in second-half stoppage-time on Matchday 12 after Aleksandar Mitrovic had opened the scoring from the penalty spot inside the opening five minutes.

Though his goal didn't come until late, this was another virtuoso performance from Al-Dawsari, and despite the influx of talent from Europe, he still profiles as one of the biggest stars of the Pro League.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Al-Ettifaq

Everything was set up for Al-Ettifaq to enjoy a memorable night on Sunday. Steven Gerrard's club were holding the official opening of their brand-new stadium as they hosted Al-Raed, who sit bottom of the table and had lost eight of their 11 games heading into the fixture.

However, with star striker Moussa Dembele still out with an injury, Gerrard's team failed to break down their visitors and were made to settle for a 0-0 draw which keeps them down in seventh and four points off the top four.

Ettifaq have now won just one of their last six league games and were knocked out of the King's Cup by Al-Nassr in midweek. As one of the league's biggest summer spenders, that should be concerning for Gerrard in terms of his long-term job prospects.