Al-Ittihad beat Al-Nassr 2-1 at the Alinma Stadium in front of a crowd of 47,661. Yet the scoreline was not what dominated the conversation afterwards. The main talking point from this fifth-round fixture in the Saudi Pro League, Saudi Arabia's top flight, was a curious episode that unfolded during the match itself. Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old captain of the visiting side, tried to sneak a look at the tactical notes in the hands of the opposition captain Danilo Pereira, his own team-mate with the Portugal national side. The cameras caught the Portuguese star in the act, and the footage spread across the internet within hours.
Al-Ittihad's media team wasted no time turning the moment to their own advantage. A photograph appeared on the club's official page soon afterwards, carrying a pointed caption: "Cheating and still losing!" Ultimately, the online storm and the lost derby came with a heavier cost in the table. Al-Nassr have suffered their first defeat of the campaign and now trail the leaders Al-Hilal by three points.
