Al-Nassr edged past Al-Taawoun with a narrow 1-0 victory in the Saudi Pro League, a result that lifts Cristiano Ronaldo’s side back into second place and cuts the gap to leaders Al-Hilal to five points, Softfootball reports.
The hosts set the tone early and thought they had struck inside five minutes when Mohamed Simakan powered a header home from close range. VAR intervened, though, ruling the defender offside in the build-up. It was an early warning that Al-Taawoun struggled to heed, as Al-Nassr continued to apply pressure through Ronaldo, João Félix and Kingsley Coman.
Ronaldo went closest to breaking the deadlock in open play during the opening exchanges, rattling the crossbar from inside the area after being picked out by Simakan. Al-Taawoun offered little beyond sporadic set pieces and isolated counter-attacks, with Roger Martínez and Angelo Fulgini largely starved of service.
Al-Nassr’s dominance was finally rewarded on the stroke of half-time. A dangerous delivery into the box caused panic in the Al-Taawoun defence, and centre-back Mohammed Al Dossary inadvertently glanced the ball into his own net while attempting to clear.
The home side could have gone into the break with a more comfortable advantage. Simakan again threatened from a corner, while both Sadio Mané and Ronaldo forced goalkeeper Mailson into smart saves as Al-Taawoun struggled to cope with sustained pressure. Mané’s inclusion was particularly notable, as the Senegal international returned to the starting XI following his AFCON 2025 triumph with Senegal — his second continental title.
The pattern of the game barely changed after the restart. Al-Nassr controlled possession and continued to carve out chances, with Coman lively down the left flank. The winger tested Mailson twice in quick succession early in the second half, before Mané struck the post after a slick counter-attack involving Félix.
To their credit, Al-Taawoun stayed in contention. Al Dossary headed wide from a set piece, while Martínez tried his luck from distance, though without troubling the Al-Nassr goalkeeper. As the clock ticked down, the hosts pushed for a second goal to put the game beyond doubt. Ronaldo saw several efforts blocked or saved, including a late attempt from a tight angle that Mailson dealt with comfortably, while Félix was denied in stoppage time after cutting inside and aiming low for the far corner.
After the game ended, Al nassr shared via its official X handle the official match report image. They posted:
In the end, the solitary goal was enough. The win moves Al-Nassr firmly into second place and trims the gap to Al-Hilal to five points, a small measure of redemption after their earlier 3-1 league defeat to the champions.
