Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr falter again, giving up their lead to Al-Shabab following a crucial red card, as Stefano Pioli's side extends their winless streak to three games.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning goal couldn’t secure a win for Al-Nassr, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Shabab.
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Stefano Pioli sought a response from his team in front of their home fans after two winless games, but they fell short once again.
Al-Nassr started brightly, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané posing a constant threat in attack while Marcelo Brozovic and Ali Alhassan controlled the midfield. Despite their dominance, they failed to capitalize and fell behind when Nawaf Boushal clipped Daniel Podence in the box. Abderrazak Hamdallah converted the resulting penalty, giving Al-Shabab the lead just before halftime.
The advantage was short-lived as Ayman Yahya smashed in an equalizer after Ronaldo’s free-kick was poorly cleared by Al-Shabab’s defense. Al-Nassr then took the lead for the first time when Ronaldo, set up by Mané, beat Georgiy Bushchan from a tight angle.
However, their momentum was halted early in the second half when Mohammed Al-Fatil was sent off for bringing down Podence, who was through on goal after a loose pass from Brozovic. With a man advantage, Al-Shabab intensified their pressure and eventually found a second goal when Mohammed Al Shwirekh headed home from a corner.
In a surprising decision, Pioli substituted Ronaldo for Jhon Duran, but the Colombian failed to influence the game. Instead, it was goalkeeper Bento who preserved a point for the hosts with a crucial fingertip save deep into stoppage time.
THE MVP
Ronaldo appeared sharp and scored a stunning goal to give Al-Nassr the lead, but it was his fellow Portuguese player, Podence, who was the standout performer. The former Wolves star earned his team a penalty in the first half, kept Mohamed Simakana under constant pressure, and forced Fatil into a reckless challenge that resulted in a red card early in the second half. Podence was involved in nearly every key moment, delivering a thoroughly complete performance at the age of 29.
THE BIG LOSER
Podence set up the situation, and Al-Fatil fell right into it. Although Podence was far from the goal, he managed to shield the ball from the center-back, and Fatil fouled him. Since Podence was on his way toward goal, the referee had no option but to send Al-Fatil off with a red card.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Al-Nassr are three points behind third-placed Al-Qadisiya, with Al-Hilal three points ahead of them and leaders Al-Ittihad four points further clear. The top three positions are secured for automatic qualification to next season’s AFC Champions League Elite, and with just 10 games left, Pioli’s side cannot afford to lose any more points. However, their focus will now shift to the second leg of their continental tie against Esteghal on Monday, before they host Al-Kholood in the Pro League next Friday.
This was a good match