Al Nassr Suffers Another Loss Despite Ronaldo’s Presence

In a Saudi Pro League match on August 18, Al Nassr faced a 0-2 defeat against Al Taawon, even with Cristiano Ronaldo in the lineup.

Despite playing at home, Al Nassr couldn’t secure any points against Al Taawon, a team with a significantly lower squad value of $21 million. The star-studded team, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, and Seko Fofana, failed to make a difference. Al Nassr fell behind just 20 minutes into the game and missed several promising opportunities before conceding another goal in the sixth minute.

While Al Nassr has heavily invested in its attack, its defensive vulnerabilities were evident during the match. The team’s defense struggled to contain Al Taawon’s attacks, allowing them to create multiple scoring chances early on. Leandre Tawamba scored a comfortable header to give Al Taawon the lead.

With the lead, Al Taawon adopted a defensive approach, making it challenging for Al Nassr to find clear scoring opportunities. The turning point came when the referee initially awarded a penalty to Al Nassr after a foul on Seko Fofana, but changed his decision after consulting VAR. Ronaldo expressed strong frustration over this decision and showed his displeasure as he entered the tunnel at halftime.

Ronaldo had a few chances in the second half, but he couldn’t convert them into goals. Al Nassr applied pressure late in the game, but both Anderson Talisca and Marcelo Brozovic missed opportunities. A disallowed goal by Sadio Mane further dashed their hopes, and shortly afterward, Al Taawon sealed the victory with a counter-attack goal by Ahmed Saleh Bahusayn.

With this loss, Al Nassr dropped to 15th place in the Saudi Pro League standings, while Al Taawon secured the fourth position with their second consecutive victory. The defeat highlighted Al Nassr’s defensive weaknesses and raised questions about their overall performance despite the presence of notable stars like Cristiano Ronaldo.