Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr draws with al taawon and gets complicated in the Saudi League
Otávio put Pioli’s men ahead but Al Tawoon equalised in the second consecutive match without the Portuguese star.
Without tension, without play, and without Cristiano Ronaldo . Al Nassr said goodbye to their Asian Champions League chances after drawing with Al Tawoon. A disappointing final stretch for a team that has invested hundreds of millions in building a championship project.
A rather flat first half. A header from Mané against the crossbar was the best chance of the opening 45 minutes. Al Nassr dominated the game, finding the first goal from a set piece. Otávio appeared at the near post and headed home his team . Pioli ‘s team dominated until Roger Martínez fired in from the edge of the box to tie the game. No Champions League and no Cristiano Ronaldo .
For the second game in a row, Al Nassr was without Cristiano Ronaldo . Pioli wanted to rest his star player. There was no injury. The team was playing for qualification to the next Asian Champions League . It was a tough call, although mathematically speaking, they had a chance. But those chances quickly evaporated .
Pioli’s men, technically far superior to their opponents, did a lot of damage on the counterattack and in the second half. A shot from Barrow, saved early on by Bento, was Al Tawoon’s only offensive force. As soon as the cooling-off break ended, Al Nassr changed gears. The former Villa player came alive, and Mané had the clearest chance with a header that hit the crossbar .
Al Nassr came out with the same idea. The first goal didn’t take long to arrive. Otávio headed in a corner at the near post to put his team ahead . The former Porto player’s superb finish beat the Al Tawoon defense to his first goal of the season. Jhon Durán missed two consecutive chances to extend their lead. The Colombian was denied a goal.
Al Tawoon reacted well to Pioli’s attack. Roger Martínez leveled the match with a shot in the box after a brilliant pass from Fayçal Fajr , formerly of Getafe. The goal left Al Nassr deeply wounded, as they saw their Champions League dream slipping away . Durán clashed with the opposing goalkeeper again in the 86th minute. It completely unnerved him. Life without Cristiano is more complicated . Al Nassr bids farewell to the Asian Champions League after a season to forget .
