Mitrovic Doubles up as Al-Hilal Down Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in Riyadh Derby

Al-Nassr's Saudi goalkeeper #44 Nawaf al-Aqidi (R) catches the ball above Hilal's Serbian forward #09 Aleksandar Mitrovic (C) during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on December 1, 2023. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Saudi goalkeeper #44 Nawaf al-Aqidi (R) catches the ball above Hilal's Serbian forward #09 Aleksandar Mitrovic (C) during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on December 1, 2023. (AFP)
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Mitrovic Doubles up as Al-Hilal Down Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in Riyadh Derby

Al-Nassr's Saudi goalkeeper #44 Nawaf al-Aqidi (R) catches the ball above Hilal's Serbian forward #09 Aleksandar Mitrovic (C) during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on December 1, 2023. (AFP)
Al-Nassr's Saudi goalkeeper #44 Nawaf al-Aqidi (R) catches the ball above Hilal's Serbian forward #09 Aleksandar Mitrovic (C) during the Saudi Pro League football match between Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on December 1, 2023. (AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr lost 3-0 to table-toppers Al-Hilal in the Riyadh derby at the King Fahd International Stadium on Friday to fall further behind their bitter rivals at the top the Saudi Pro League standings.

The Portuguese striker left the field with rival fans taunting the five-times Ballon D'Or winner by chanting the name of his great rival and Argentinian World Cup winner, Lionel Messi at the end of the game.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic put the league leaders in front before Aleksandar Mitrovic's late double sealed a win that takes unbeaten Al-Hilal seven points clear of Al-Nassr at the summit 15 games into the season.

After a goalless first half, Saud Abdulhamid delivered a 64th-minute cross from the right for former Lazio midfielder Milinkovic-Savic to head in the opener, beating Nawaf Al-Aqidi low and to his right.

Mitrovic then headed in the second with a minute remaining when he nodded in Salem Al Dawsari's corner.

Three minutes later, the Serbian forward completed the scoring by cutting inside Aymeric Laporte to strike through Al-Aqidi's legs and net his 13th of the season to pull to within two goals of Ronaldo on the top scorers' chart.

The game ended on a sour note for Al-Hilal as defender Ali Al-Bulayhi was sent off in injury time by Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan, as Jorge Jesus' side notched up their 13th win in 15 league games.



China’s Huang and Sheng Win First Gold of Paris Games at Air Rifle Mixed Team Event

 China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)
China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)
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China’s Huang and Sheng Win First Gold of Paris Games at Air Rifle Mixed Team Event

 China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)
China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao pose on the podium after winning the gold of the shooting 10m air rifle mixed team during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Chateauroux Shooting Centre on July 27, 2024. (AFP)

China's Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao won the first gold medal of the Paris Games on Saturday in the 10 meters air rifle mixed team event.

Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun of South Korea claimed silver and Alexandra Le and Islam Satpayev of Kazakhstan were awarded bronze.

Three years after Yang Qian and Yang Haoran won the gold in Tokyo, compatriots Huang and Sheng made sure China retained it.

The reigning world champions topped the qualifying round ahead of their Korean rivals at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.

The gold medal round was not really a cakewalk though despite them racing to a 14-8 lead after the first 11 shots.

Keum and Park staged a late comeback to reduce the gap at 14-12 but the Chinese pair prevailed 16-12 in the end.

Le and Satpayev gave Kazakhstan their first medal of the Paris Games with a 17-5 romp against the German pair of Anna Janssen and Maximilian Ulbrich.