Al Hilal came from behind to beat Al Khaleej 2-1 on Tuesday in the Saudi Pro League to cut Al Nassr's lead at the top of the table to two points.
Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo dropped points in a 3-1 loss to Al Qadsiah that saw the leaders 20-game win streak in all competitions snapped.
Joshua King opened the scoring for the home side, but Al Hilal struck back through goals from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Sultan Mandash to take the three points and give added importance to the two teams meeting on May 12.
On April 29, Al Nassr had extended their lead over Al Hilal to eight points with a win over Al Ahli, but their rivals won on Saturday before Ronaldo's side dropped points Sunday.
Both teams have played 31 games of the 34 game season, with Al Nassr on 79 points and Al Hilal at 77.
Ronaldo is still looking for a first trophy since joining Al Nassr in the SPL in January of 2023 and his side looked to be running away with it before results over the last week changed the complexion of the title race.
It has been a tumultuous season with Al Nassr for Ronaldo, who boycotted two games early in 2026 over what he said were unfair transfer dealings for Al Hilal.
His protest came after rivals Al Hilal strengthened their squad by signing former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad in the winter transfer window.
Ronaldo has 970 goals in his career for club and country, including the 25 he has scored for Al Nassr this season.
