Saudi Arabia Al Nassr led 2-0 after 28 minutes, but were held to a 2-2 draw by Abha - the 15th ranked Saudi Pro League team - in round 9.
Al Nassr started the match better than Abha. In the third minute, Cristiano Ronaldo launched an attack with a backheel that led to the opening goal. After CR7's pass, Marcelo Brozovic crossed for Otavio, who dribbled past a defender and fired into the left corner of the goal.
Al Nassr continued to play with enthusiasm after the early goal. The home team controlled the ball up to 80% at times. In the 28th minute, Ronaldo once again launched an attack that led to a goal. After a pass from the Portuguese superstar, Sadio Mane crossed into the penalty area for Talisca to shoot past goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu.
Talisca (in yellow) raised the score to 2-0 for Al Nassr in the match against Abha on the evening of October 6. Photo: Al Nassr
After two early goals, Al Nassr were somewhat satisfied with the result. They played loosely and allowed Abba many counter-attack opportunities. In the 36th minute, the away team quickly scored a goal when Otavio fouled Sami Al Sudani. Saad Bguir successfully kicked the penalty to reduce the score to 1-2.
Al Nassr's defense continued to be unstable after conceding the goal. Meanwhile, Ronaldo lacked the luck to score in front of Abha's goal. In the 45+4 minute, the Portuguese striker headed the ball against the crossbar, before being flagged offside. In the 66th minute, Ronaldo put the ball into Abha's net, but was once again offside.
Two late shots from open positions also failed to result in a goal for Ronaldo. His first shot was parried away by Tatarusanu, while his second shot went wide.
Failing to score against Abha, Ronaldo's scoring streak ended after six consecutive matches for Al Nassr in the 2023-2024 Saudi Pro League. However, he still leads the race for the Golden Boot with 10 goals, three more than second-placed Moussa Dembele.
Ronaldo (in yellow shirt) lacked the luck to score against Abba. Photo: Al Nassr
Talisca also missed several chances to increase the gap for Al Nassr. The Brazilian striker headed the ball wide twice, then misplaced his pass in a three-on-three situation.
After squandering several chances to take all three points, Al Nassr paid the price in the 90+2 minute. After winning the ball in midfield, Karl Toko Ekambi broke through and shot from 25 meters, leveling the score at 2-2. The former Lyon striker's equalizer left Al Nassr with no time to react. The referee blew the whistle to end the match a few minutes later and the home team had to accept the draw.
Al Nassr are currently third in the Saudi Pro League with 19 points from nine games, three points behind leaders Al Taawoun. If they beat Al Akhdoud on Sunday, Neymar's Al Hilal could move to the top with 23 points. Meanwhile, Abha have jumped from 16th to 15th place, with seven points from nine games. The Saudi Pro League consists of 18 teams and plays a double round-robin format.
Thanh Quy
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