Big-spending Al Nassr dug themselves an early hole to start their Saudi Pro League season after a stunning 2-0 home defeat to Al Taawoun with star players Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Anderson Talisca, and Marcelo Brozovic failing to find the back of the net on Friday.
A wide-open corner kick header from Cameroonian forward Leandre Tawamba in the 20th minute set the visitors on their way, and Al Taawoun’s five-man backline and sure-handed goalkeeper frustrated Ronaldo and Al Nassr all night, with substitute Ahmed Bahusayn sealing the result deep in stoppage time.
Al Nassr’s 2-1 loss on the opening weekend to Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq was attributed to the fact that many of their star players were given a rest after winning the Arab Club Champions Cup 48 hours before. But they were all back on the field and still came up short against an Al Taawoun side that executed a perfect game plan of defending in numbers and counter-attacking through speedy Brazilian winger Mateus.
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Al Nassr struggled to find a flow to their attack, outshooting Al Taawoun 24-8, but only getting five shots on target compared to the visitors’ six. Anderson Talisca missed on a couple of headers in the box, Sadio Mane had a goal disallowed, there was a late goal-line clearance, Cristiano Ronaldo slammed a ball against the post from an offside position, and Marcelo Brozovic fired right at the ‘keeper on a frustrating night for the home team.
Al Nassr starting XI: (4-3-3, right to left): 33. Waleed (GK) — 2. Al Ghannam, 78. Lajami (4. Al Fatil 47′), 5. Al Amri, 13. Konan — 6. Fofana (8. Alsulaiheem 76′), 77. Brozovic, 17. Alkhaibari (29. Ghareeb 34′) — 94. Talisca, 7. Ronaldo, 10. Mane.
Al Taawoun (5-3-2, right to left): 1. Mailson (GK) — 15. Abdulmalik (6. M. Al Ghamdi 62′), 4. Girotto, 42. Muath (31. Balobaid 74′), 14. Kadesh, 23. Waleed — 24. Flavio (29. Bahusayn 88′), 18. El Mahdioui, 10. Medran (8. Al Nasser 74′) — 16. Mateus, 3. Tawamba (7. Al Roqi 88′).