Al-Nassr 1-1 Al-Taawoun Highlights, Saudi Pro League: Visitors Deny Ronaldo-Less Al-Alami Vital Win As Martinez Cancels Otavio Opener

This is the beginning of our live coverage of the Al-Nassr vs Al-Taawoun match, which will take place on Friday, 16 May. The match will kick off at 11:30 PM IST at the Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

To find out when and where to watch the match live in India, read here.

This is the big question in everyone's mind, really. Despite Al-Nassr thumping Al-Akhdoud 9-0, Ronaldo was missing from the team. Since then, fans have been asking if the Portuguese superstar will make his comeback against Al-Taawoun.

In theory, Ronaldo is available for tonight's game, with no injuries reported. However, in the pre-match training photos released by Al-Nassr, Ronaldo was nowhere to be seen. This, amid uncertainity whether he will extend his contract, which is supposed to run out at the end of this season, means that CR7 may actually not play tonight, or at all this season.

Before tonight's starting XIs are released, let's have a look at the players who will miss out on tonight's match due to injury or suspension:

Al-Nassr: Abdullah Alkhiabari (unfit, doubtful), Abdulrahman Ghareeb (muscle), Aymeric Laporte (muscle), Cristiano Ronaldo (unfit, doubtful), Mohamed Simakan (unfit, doubtful)

Al-Taawoun: Awn Al Slaluli (hamstring), Mailson (knee), Rakan Al-Tulayhi (cruciate ligament)

Al-Nassr and Al-Taawoun have faced each other 25 times across all competitions.

• Al-Nassr Wins: 15

• Al-Taawoun Wins: 7

• Drawn: 3

Last Five Fixtures:

• Al-Taawoun 1-1 Al-Nassr (Saudi Pro League, 17 Jan 2025)

• Al-Nassr 0-1 Al-Taawoun (King's Cup, 29 October 2024)

• Al-Taawoun 0-2 Al-Nassr (Super Cup, 14 Aug 2024)

• Al-Taawoun 1-4 Al-Nassr (Saudi Pro League, 30 Dec 2023)

• Al-Nassr 0-2 Al-Taawoun (Saudi Pro League, 18 Aug 2023)

Al-Nassr: Bento Krepski; Nawaf Al-Boushail, Mohammed Al Fatil, Ali Lajami, Sultan Al Ghanam; Abdulmajeed Al Sulaiheem, Marcelo Brozovic; Sadio Mane, Otavio, Ayman Yahya; Jhon Duran

Al-Taawoun: Abdulquddus Atiah; Renne Rivas, Waleed Al-Ahmad, Andre Girotto, Mohammed Mahzari; Aschraf El Mahdioui, Faycal Fajr; Musa Barrow, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Sultan Mandash; Roger Martinez

Al-Nassr: Raghed Najjar, Majed Qasheesh, Salem Al Najdi, Awad Aman, Ali Al-Hassan, Abdullah Alkhaibari, Angelo Gabriel, Bassam Hazazi, Wesley

Al-Taawoun: Abdul Ghamdi, Fahad Al Abdulrazzaq, Fahad Mohammed bin Jumayah, Lucas Chavez, Sultan Al Farhan, Hattan Sultan Bahbri, Ahmed Saleh Buhasayn, Abdulfattah Adam

Al-Nassr: 🟢W 🟢W 🔴L 🔴L 🟢W

Al-Taawoun: 🔴L 🔴L 🟢W 🔴L 🔴L

With less than 10 minutes to go until kick-off, the players are warming up on the pitch. The big news is that Ronaldo is not in the Al-Nassr's matchday squad for the second game running, so Sadio Mane will be the key player for the home side. The official reason for Ronaldo's absence, as given by the club, is "fatigue".

The referee blows his whistle, and we are underway at Riyadh. Al-Hilal seem to have their match against Al Fateh in the bag, so Al-Nassr's job of securing continental football just got tougher. However, a Ronaldo-less side kick off.

NAS 0-0 TWN (0')

After a really uneventful opening six-seven minutes, Al-Nassr are growing into the game, and Mane and Duran hav etried to go forward in the last couple of minutes, which has put the Taawoun defenders and goalkeeper under pressure. Nothing has come of it though, and no shots yet from the home side. Barrow has dropped deep to help out Rivas against Mane's threat.

NAS 0-0 TWN (10')

After some mild pressure from the Nassr forwards, Al-Taawoun have grown into the game, and Roger Martinez and Barrow have combined to push forward a number of times. The majority of the posession is still with Al-Nassr though.

Still, the match is extremely cagey, with neither side looking to commit numbers forward. This game needs a moment of magic to open up.

NAS 0-0 TWN (20')

The first half-decent chance of the game, and it comes from Musa Barrow. The Wolves keep the ball in front of the Al-Nassr penalty, and it comes to the Gambian, who shoots with his right foot from outside the box. It flies towards the top left corner, and could have crept in, but Bento is on full stretch to put it behind. Nothing comes of the resulting corner, but Al-Taawoun look confident.

NAS 0-0 TWN (22')

Depsite having the vast majority of the ball, Al-Nassr are struggling to break down Al-Taawoun's defence. Most of the attack is now coming down the left side, but this time, the ball is florated in from the right by Otavio, and Sadio Mane did well to climb over his marker to get his head at the ball, but it is easy pickings for Atiah.

We go to a drinks break now.

NAS 0-0 TWN (31')

Wooahh! The best chance of the game so far, and it's all down to Sadio Mane. A carbon copy of his earlier headed chance, and it comes from a floated cross from the right by Al Ghanam. Mane, who found himself unmarked in the box, has to do everything by himself, and the Senegalese has to generate the power. The looping ball beats the keeper but hits the top right bar and goes behind. Really, really unlucky.

NAS 0-0 TWN (40')

Other than a free-kick by Marcelo Brozovic that Duran failed to get his foot on, Al-Nassr did not have any serious efforts on goal, and the visitors have been solid so far. Mahzari got his name taken by the referee for a high-footed challenge on Mane outside the box. Duran has a lashed shot from the free-kick, but it hits the wall and flies back, and the referee signals for half-time.

NAS 0-0 TWN (HT)

The referee blows his whistle, and the second half is underway at the Al-Awwal Park. The match is still goalless, and no serious chances have been created yet other than the one that fell to Mane, hitting the bar. Let's see if that will change in the next 45 minutes.

NAS 0-0 TWN (45')

The came out of nowhere, didn't it? It all comes from a great corner routine, with Al-Nassr palying it short. Al Sulaiheem plays the ball into the box, and Otavio goes across the defender and jumps the higest to find the near post, beating Atiah. That's the first league goal of this season for Otavio, and he looks really pleased. Hopefully this will allow the cagey game to kick off.

NAS 1-0 TWN (51')

Al-Taawoun have not given up after the goal, and are trying to push forward. It's not easy, with Al-Nassr finding rhythm after Otavio's strike. Martinez did well for the visitors, getting a shot on target, but it's straight at Bento. The game hasn't full opened up though.

Martinez, who is the beating heart of Al-Taawoun's act, almost found the net with a stretching first-time volley, but it goes wide off the far post, and no one can get a foot in to poke it past Bento.

NAS 1-0 TWN (60')

That's a big chance for Duran. The Colombian is played through, but he takes a touch that takes him away from the goal, and his final shot is not the cleanest, and Atiah makes a good save at his near side to keep Al-Nassr's lead to just one. Al-Ghanam takes a shot from the corner, but it's wide.

Mane gets another chance for Al-Nassr, but Atiah makes another top save to keep the Senegalese's shot out, and nothing comes from the corner. Two golden chances for the home side, but no goals. Pioli is angry at the bench.

NAS 0-0 TWN (66')

Who else, but Roger Martinez! The Colombian takes his chance, receiving the ball from Mahzari with a fantastic first touch. He adjusts his body and fires it past Bento, finding the bottom left corner.

How costly will Duran's miss prove to be for Pioli's team?

NAS 1-1 TWN (70')

Al-Nassr made an attacking change in the 64th minute:

Wesley IN

Abdumajeed Al Sulaiheem OUT

Al-Taawoun make a triple change after the goal:

Farah Mohammed bin Jamayah, Abdulfattah Adam, Ahmed Saleh Buhasayn IN

Mohammed Mahzari, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Faycal Fajr OUT

NAS 1-1 TWN (72')

Despite Al-Nassr committing numbers forawrd, the Al-Taawoun defence are doing a marvelous job of keeping them quiet, and Duran and Co. are being frustrated at the moment. No clear chance at goal for either team going into the final five minutes of normal time.

Al-Nassr had made a double change in the 81st minute:

Salem Al Najdi, Angelo Gabriel IN

Nawaf Al-Boushail, Ayman Yahya OUT

NAS 1-1 TWN (85')

After a minute-long delay due to an injury to Hatan Bahbri, the game continues, with a mimumum of six minutes of added time to be played. Wesley, who was just booked, pushes forward, but nothing comes from Angelo Gabriel's shot, which is weak and straight at Atiah.

NAS 1-1 TWN (90+2')

After a lashed shot over the bar by Bahbri, it looks like that's that for tonight's game. The full-time whistle is delayed as Al Fatil, who was injured some time ago but refused to be substituted out, goes down, and the stretcher is out.

NAS 1-1 TWN (90+8')

After some nervy VAR checks (plural) for two handballs in the Al-Taawoun box, the visitors somehow defend the draw, and it ends after 14 minutes of added time.

Al-Nassr fail to break down Al-Taawoun's defence despite some almost the entire extra time being played in the visitor's half. With this draw, their AFC Champions League hopes are all but gone.

NAS 1-1 TWN (FT)

This is the end of our live coverage of the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 match between Al-Nassr and Al-Taawoun. We hope you enjoyed our live commentary, and you can continue to enjoy more football action in our live coverage of the English Premier League matches between Chelsea and Manchester United, and Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.