Saudi Gazette report
ALQASSIM — In the absence of captain Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr needed a late penalty from Anderson Talisca to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw against Al Kholood at King Abdullah Sports City on Friday.
The Portuguese striker was rested by head coach Stefano Pioli ahead of next week's crucial Capital Derby clash with Al Hilal, and midfielder Marcelo Brozovic was also left on the bench.
Al Kholood took the lead early in the match, with Jackson Muleka capitalizing on a quick counterattack to assist Myziane Maolida, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner for his second Roshn Saudi League goal of the season.
Al Nassr responded swiftly when Abdulrahman Ghareeb's corner was nodded on by Ali Lajami to Aymeric Laporte, who headed home at the far post to equalize.
The visitors then took the lead when Sadio Mane's shot was parried by Al Kholood's goalkeeper, Marcelo Grohe, but Talisca was on hand to finish the rebound, making it 2-1.
However, Muleka and Maolida struck again for Al Kholood, with Maolida curling a shot into the far corner after a slick build-up involving Alex Collado. The first half concluded with the teams level at 2-2.
Things took a turn for Al Nassr when Laporte was stretchered off with an injury, raising concerns about his availability for the upcoming derby against Al Hilal.
In the second half, Al Kholood took the lead for a third time when substitute Hammam Al Hammami delivered a low cross to Muleka, who tapped in to make it 3-2.
But in a dramatic twist, Muleka handled the ball inside his own penalty area during stoppage time, resulting in a penalty for Al Nassr. Talisca stepped up and confidently converted to level the match once more.
The draw marked a second consecutive stalemate since Noureddine Ben Zekri's arrival as Al Kholood's manager, allowing them to escape the relegation zone. Meanwhile, Al Nassr dropped points for the first time under Pioli and will enter Derby Week in third place, trailing league leaders Al Hilal by at least three points. Al Hilal is set to face Al Taawoun in the final match of Matchweek 8 on Saturday.
