Ronaldo stays quiet as Al Nassr secures their third consecutive victory

Match result - On a day when Cristiano Ronaldo did not make much impact, Al Nassr managed a narrow win against Al Taawoun in the 17th round of the Saudi Pro League.

The game between Al Nassr and Al Taawoun started with intense pace right from the opening minutes. Al Nassr took the initiative, controlled possession well, and consistently pressured their opponent's goal. However, the fierce competition was evident early on through physical challenges. At the 10th minute, Saad Al Nasser from Al Nassr received a yellow card following a tough midfield duel.

Meanwhile, in attack, Al Nassr mainly focused their play through their captain Cristiano Ronaldo as a familiar focal point. Nevertheless, on a day when he was not at his best form, the Portuguese superstar failed to make a difference and had to leave the pitch without scoring.

The turning point came in the 45th minute when Mohammed Al Dossari of Al Taawoun accidentally scored an own goal while trying to defend, giving Al Nassr a 1-0 lead. Before the first half ended, Abdullah Al-Khaibari of Al Nassr also received a yellow card during stoppage time.

In the second half, Al Taawoun pushed forward to equalize, but their impatience led to multiple bookings. Meshal Alaeli was cautioned immediately in the 46th minute. Both teams made several substitutions between the 63rd and 79th minutes to refresh their tactics, with Al Nassr strengthening the midfield and Al Taawoun boosting their attack.

The final minutes were highly tense. From the 86th minute onward, yellow cards were frequently issued to players on both sides, reflecting intense pressure and mental strain. The climax occurred in stoppage time when players such as Mohamed Simakan, Waleed Al-Ahmed, Mohammed Mahzari, and Aschraf El Mahdioui all received yellow cards. Ultimately, Al Nassr held on to their slim advantage to win 1-0 over Al Taawoun.

This result marks the third straight victory for Jorge Jesus’s squad in the Saudi Pro League, solidifying their second-place position with 40 points, five points behind the leaders Al Hilal.