Welcome to Sportstar’s highlights of the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Taawoun, being played at Mrsool Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Full-Time! Al Nassr 2-1 Al Taawoun
Al Nassr looks to run out the game. It has found it tough to find a breakthrough after the equaliser and Ronaldo is fouled as the 38-year-old tries another forward run. A free-kick opportunity for Ronaldo to score here. But he decides to pass and set up his teammate, something he has done twice tonight.
Chance! Al Taawoun gets a key chance in the last moments of the match. A defensive error by Al Nassr gives Sumayhan Alnabit a chace to make a solo run in front of the defenders and, instead of passing it to his teammate to his left, he decides to flick it over the goalkeeper. However, the ball curls and just misses the target. This may prove to be a very costly mistake for the Al Taaawoun No. 8.
Al Taawoun switched the play from the left to right, but the attack fizzles out in the final third with the hosts ending up with a goal kick in its favour.
Shot! Al Nassr’s and the Saudi League’s highest goal scorer this season, Anderson Talisca tries a shot from outside the box, with Al Nassr trying a fast counter attack, but Mailson catches the ball with ease.
Goal! Luis Gustavo tries a through ball, which is met by Ronaldo, who sets up Madu for a shot and despite the goal, the referee initially rules the goal out for offside. But after a VAR Check and a further review on the monitor, the goal is given for Al Nassr.
Al Nassr decided to attack this time and Ronaldo is in the front of it. He barges into the box, dribbles past his marker and shoots to force a good reflex save by Mailson.
Side Netting! Al Taawoun is the team raining attack s one after the other now as Aschraf El Mahdioui gets a pass from Sumayhan Alnabit and his bullet of a shot ends up in the side-net.
Goal disallowed! Al Taawoun attacks against the run of play and Cameroonian striker Leandre Kana fights past Amri and then shoots past Nawaf to complete a comeback and double the goal tally for the visitors. But the referee, after a VAR check, rules the goal out as Kana was seen to be marginally offside.
Ronaldo tries to start an attack against the run of play. He makes a run and just at the edge of the penalty box, is dispossessed of the ball. Meanwhile, Ghareeb goes down in the penalty box appealing for a penalty but the referee is not interested at all.
Al Nassr is being pressurised into its own half with Al Taawoun sensing a bit of dwindling confidence. Cristiano Ronaldo’s side has looked bit more on the defensive, trying to defend the lead, something that saw it conceded so early.
Abdulelah Al Amri is surrounded by white shirts and gets a free-kick in his own half and the manager Rudi Garcia is absolutey fuming as he appeals for more than just a free kick (cards). The referee, however, is not interested.
Goal! Al Taawoun catches Al Nassr napping with Mohammed Al-Ghamdi crossing from the right for Alvaro Medran who connects well enough to bury the ball into the net. The scores are level and Al Nassr is down to third in the league table.
Second half begins!
Half-Time! Al Nassr 1-0 Al Taawoun
Late action in the first half! Ghareeb’s cross saved by Mailson then gets a touch by Naldo and Ronaldo vehemently appeals for a penalty. The referee, after a VAR check, rules play on and the Portuguese is very unhappy!
Al-Najei dribbles into the box and tries to set up Ghareeb for a strike, but Mailson, who has looked very cautious throughout the match, gets to the ball first to deny any chance of a goal.
So far, Al Nassr has dominated the match completely, with seven shots as compared to just one from Al Taawoun. However, the number of shots on target has been just one for the hosts to zero for the visitors.
Al Nassr has dropped down dee with five men the back now, with Gustavo looking firm with clearances as Ronaldo awaits for long balls from his side.
32’ Save! Ronaldo’s shot saved!
Al Ghamdi makes a promising run into the Al Nassr half, beats his marker and tries to pass to Medran , who has run into the box and was waiting, but Al Nassr intercepts the ball to get it back rolling for an attack.
Al Nassr, which was looking shaky in defence, is back in command after the opening goal, with Ghareeb and Ronaldo the onluy players in the forward line at the moment. Konan looks to switch plays, carrying the ball form defence to attack, but Al Taawoun, eventually, gets the ball back.
Konan takes the throw-in, but Ghareeb sees the ball run out for an Al Taawoun goal kick. At the moment, Rudi Garcia’s men sit on top of the Saudi Pro League. Medran tries a cross inside the box, but Konan clears it away for a corner kick.
Save! Ghareeb turns creator this time and carries the ball into the box and, instead of passing to Ronaldo, gives it to Abdullah Madu, whose shot for the top right corner is saved by Mailson.
Goal! Ghareeb gets a through ball from Cristiano Ronaldo from the right flank and the winger makes a darting run, cutting to his right and curls it around the Al Taawoun keeper to score for the hosts.
Did you know?
As the ball moves around like a pinball game in the midfield, it is Al Nassr, which is chasing the ball throughout and Al-Hassan tries to win the ball with a high boot and gives away a free-kick.
Luis Gustavo tries to start an attack from the midfield, but the white shirts, the visistors force him to play a back pass a Al Nassr enjoys possession. The ball moves to the right side of the midfield and this time, Ayman Yahya tries a shot from outside the box as the ball flies past the target.
Al Taawoun tries an attack along the left flank, with Nasser trying a through ball from the left. But Nawaf eventually gets to the ball to nip the attack in the bud.
Ronaldo tries a shot from outside the box. He gets the ball off Ali Al-Hassan from his right, beats his marker with a stop and turn and then shoots to see Mailson try a full-stretched save. But the ball flies just off-target.
Off side! Ronaldo gets a through ball from Ghareeb in the final third, beats his marker and tries to shoot past the goalkeeper Karim, but the linesman raises the flag.
Al Nassr is being pressed-up high as the men in yellow-and-blue circulate their passes in their own half. The host gets the ball in the midfield and tries a through ball for Ronaldo, but Al Taawoun intercepts.
Kick Off!
Starting lineups:
MATCH PREVIEW
Cristiano Ronaldo will look to continue his goalscoring streak in the Saudi Pro League when Al Nassr plays Al Taawoun at Mrsool Park in Riyadh on Friday.
Ronaldo scored his first hat-trick for the Saudi club in the previous match against Al-Wehda and now has five goals in three games.
Al Nassr will also look for goals from Anderson Talisca, the highest goal scorer in the league, with 13 goals this season.
The club returned to winning ways in the league after a 4-0 win in the previous match and has just two wins in its last five games.
With 37 points from 16 matches so far, Ronaldo’s side will have the chance to go on top with a win in this match against Al-Tawoun.
Placed two spots below Al Nassr, at fifth, Al Taawoun comes into the match after a loss to Al Fateh and also has two wins and a draw in its last five games.
For it, a win here will proper it into the top four, allowing it to fight for AFC Champions League qualification.
Al Nassr vs Al Taawoun H2H record:
Played: 19 | Al Nassr: 12 | Al Wehda: 5 | Draw: 2
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