Al Taawoun and Al-Nassr shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in the Saudi Pro League.
The match began with a fast tempo and Al-Nassr pressed for an early breakthrough.
Cristiano Ronaldo was particularly lively, testing Al Taawoun goalkeeper Mailson with several attempts from distance.
Despite Al-Nassr’s pressure, it was Al Taawoun who struck first. In the 45th minute, Saad Al Nasser finished clinically with a left-footed strike into the bottom corner following a well-timed pass from Fahad Jumayah.
The hosts carried their narrow lead into the break, leaving Al-Nassr frustrated.
The second half saw Al-Nassr push for an equaliser, and they eventually levelled in the 64th minute.
keep fighting pic.twitter.com/6a64HB42Kj
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) January 17, 2025
Aymeric Laporte rose highest to meet Angelo’s cross, guiding a header into the bottom left corner. This sparked a wave of momentum for the visitors, but Al-Nassr struggled to find the finishing touch.
Tempers flared as the match progressed, with several players receiving yellow cards, including Mohammed Marran and Faycal Fajr for rash challenges.
The closing stages were chaotic. Al-Nassr came agonisingly close to a winner in stoppage time when Ronaldo’s shot was blocked, followed by a wild miss from Sadio Mane.
Al Taawoun, however, nearly snatched the win themselves as Musa Barrow’s powerful strike was blocked on the edge of the box.
Despite 13 minutes of added time, neither side could find a decisive goal. Al-Nassr will rue missed opportunities, while Al Taawoun will be pleased with their resilience against strong opposition.
The result leaves Al-Nassr frustrated in their pursuit of the title and they cannot afford to give up any more ground to leaders Al-Hilal.
