Al-Nassr wanted a late penalty from Talisca to salvage their unbeaten begin to the Saudi Professional League season, drawing 3-3 with Al-Kholood on the King Abdullah Sport Metropolis Stadium.
With talisman Cristiano Ronaldo absent from the aspect, Al-Nassr missed the possibility to go inside a degree of leaders Al-Hilal, who face Al-Okhdood afterward Friday.
Al-Kholood surprised the guests with simply 12 minutes gone when Jackson Muleka picked out Myziane Maolida, with the striker driving a problem earlier than ending past Bento.
However Stefano Pioli’s aspect restored parity two minutes later when Aymeric Laporte notched his third objective in as many video games with a guided header into the far nook.
Al-Nassr quickly discovered themselves in entrance when Sadio Mane noticed his effort saved by Marcelo Grohe, just for the rebound to fall kindly into the trail of Talisca to complete.
Nevertheless, it was then the hosts’ flip to supply a fast response, with Maolida grabbing his second with a high quality end from the sting of the realm to degree the sport on the break.
However of their makes an attempt to discover a winner, Al-Nassr had been hit with a sucker punch when Muleka turned dwelling from shut vary after good work from substitute Hammam Al Hammami.
Al-Kholood seemed set to say a well-known victory till goalscorer Muleka was penalised for a handball within the field within the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, with Talisca stepping as much as snatch a degree for the guests.
|| Full time,@AlNassrFC 3:3 #AlKholood pic.twitter.com/p7i46Wtd1V
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) October 25, 2024
Knowledge Debrief: No Ronaldo, no get together
Whereas Al-Nassr salvaged a degree late on, the efficiency additional signified Ronaldo’s significance to the crew, with the Portugal captain having notched eight objective contributions (six objectives, two assists) in his first seven video games of the season.
The guests did, nevertheless, have their probabilities. They ended the competition with an anticipated objectives (xG) complete of two.76 from their 18 pictures, although solely eight of these efforts had been on track.
However Al-Nassr had been saved by the spectacular Talisca. He contributed a whopping 1.82 xG to his aspect’s complete, whereas additionally registering extra pictures on track (4) than any of his team-mates.
