'One game to be champion' - Jesus, Inzaghi react to Capital Derby DRAMA | OneFootball

At the end, Jorge Jesus looked like the rest of us, emotionally drained, still reeling from what had just transpired.

However, the Al Nassr manager sounded a defiant tone. Yes, his side were seconds away from a first Roshn Saudi League title in seven years, only for goalkeeper Bento’s inexplicable error.

Al Nassr had seemed set to emerge from Tuesday night’s crunch Capital Derby against Al Hilal not only with victory over their arch-rivals, but with hands soon to be wrapped around the RSL trophy.

Mohamed Simakan’s strike towards the end of the first half at a raucous and expectant Al Awwal Park appeared poised to clinch it. With Al Nassr coming up trumps in this potentially decisive top-of-the-table clash, the clock ticked tantalisingly towards the end of the allotted eight minutes of injury-time.

But Bento and teammate Inigo Martinez conspired to collide into each when leaping to intercept Ali Lajami’s desperate long throw - Al Hilal’s last throw of the championship dice - and the ball slipped through the goalkeeper’s grasp and nestled in the net.

As the stunned stadium fell silent bar the away fans tucked into the corner, the title race rumbled into another day. Potentially another week.

Al Nassr may still be five points clear, but Al Hilal can squeeze that gap to two by beating NEOM Sports Club at their Kingdom Arena on Saturday.

Then, this most thrilling of championship battles boils over into the final matchweek of 2025-26; Al Nassr will have to see off Damac at home to confirm their coronation.

With that in mind, Jesus was at pains to remind that his team’s destiny is still in their own hands.

"We have this draw, even if it costs us a lot, we still have a game to be happy," the Al Nassr manager said. "If the fans are as excited, as strong, as we were today, I'm sure that in the last game we will be happy and we will win the title."

On Tuesday night at least - and you’d imagine into Wednesday and quite possibly beyond - the closest of near misses did pinch hard.

"Today, instead of celebrating the championship, we were sad, even knowing that we could be champions, because we didn't take the game," Jesus said.

"In the last action, an easy action between Bento and Inigo - there was not even a player from Al Hilal [near them] - but football is like that. Football has moments.

"We have to understand that football, even if it costs us a lot, we still have a game to be champions."

Jesus’ coaching counterpart at Al Hilal, Simone Inzaghi, was probably as relieved as his opposite number was rocked, however temporarily.

"The team didn't give up; they believed in us; we won a point," Inzaghi said. "Now we clearly have to win the last two games and see what Nassr will do in the last one.

"In the second half, even though we didn't play [well]… now we know the fate of the league is not in our hands. But we will believe in ourselves, and we will bring out everything we have in these last two games of our season."