Cristiano Ronaldo Sorely Missed in Saudi League As Al Nassr Struggle in 6 Goal Thriller

 

Al-Nassr, missing the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo, narrowly salvaged a point in a thrilling 3-3 showdown, thanks to a last-gasp penalty from Anderson Talisca. Ronaldo was left out of the squad to face Al-Kholood following the news that his partner Georgina Rodriguez was hospitalised. Cristiano Ronaldo's absence was glaring as Al-Nassr limped to a disappointing draw in the Saudi League.  

Ronaldo-less Al-Nassr struggle at Al Kholood Initially, Cristiano's absence didn’t appear to spell trouble against a Kholood side struggling for form, winless in four matches. However, the visitors quickly realised their vulnerability.  Just 12 minutes in, Comorian striker Myziane Maolida stunned the Knights of Najd, combining smoothly with Jackson Muleka to open the scoring. But the Riyadh-based giants responded swiftly. Aymeric Laporte, currently in impressive form for both club and country, found the net just four minutes later to level matters. 

According to Goal, momentum shifted when Talisca fired Al-Nassr into the lead, benefiting from a rebound, much to Pioli’s approval. Yet their advantage didn’t last, as Maolida capitalised on a defensive lapse to equalise just before halftime, exposing the gaps in Al-Nassr’s backline. 

by  Celine Nyambura