Al-Nassr edged past Al-Taawoun 2:1 in the Pro-League on Thursday night at Al-Awwal Park Stadium, maintaining their perfect start to the campaign. The hosts sit top of the table after four games, while visitors Al-Taawoun languish in 15th place with just two points from four matches.
Al-Taawoun took a surprise lead when B. Al Hurayji struck at the 11th minute, catching the home side off-guard. To be fair, it was a rare occasion where the visitors caught Al-Nassr sleeping, and the stadium fell silent as the away fans celebrated.
Samu Costa levelled matters just before half-time at the 45th minute, responding to the setback with a composed finish. By then, Al-Nassr had begun to assert their dominance, and the equaliser came at a crucial moment before the break.
C. Ronaldo restored the home side's advantage at the 50th minute, a goal that shifted the momentum decisively. And here's the thing — he came on as a substitute earlier in the season but started this match, marking his presence with a decisive strike after Costa's earlier contribution.
Yellow cards came for Salem Alnajdi at 20 minutes, Marin Petkov at 75 minutes, and João Félix in stoppage time at 90+3. The match saw numerous changes, with eight substitutions spread across the second half as both managers looked to manage the game.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided contest. Al-Nassr enjoyed 58 per cent possession, registered 87 attacks compared to Al-Taawoun's 21, and created two big chances while the visitors managed just one. Shots accuracy showed 38 per cent for the hosts against 40 per cent for the away side, but the volume of chances told a different tale entirely.
The result keeps Al-Nassr undefeated at the summit with 12 points from four matches, having won all four games. Al-Taawoun remain winless in 15th place, their recent form including draws against Al-Fayha and Al-Khalij Saichat but losses to Al-Kholood and Damak.