Following cristiano Ronaldo Absence Al Nassr drops points ahead of the Capital Derby.

Ronaldo -less Al Nassr drops points ahead of the Capital Derby. In the absence of captain and star

Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr needed a late Anderson Talisca penalty to salvage a point in a dramatic 3-3 draw with Al Kholood at King Abdullah Sports City on Friday. Head coach Stefano Pioli rested the Portuguese striker ahead of next week’s critical Capital Derby against Al Hilal, and the Italian tactician also left midfielder Marcelo Brozovic on the bench. Within 12 minutes, Al Kholood took the lead as Jackson Muleka capitalised on a rapid counterattack, breaking free down the left and setting up Myziane Maolida. The Comoros forward outpaced his marker and fired the ball into the bottom corner for his second RSL goal of the season. Al Nassr answered almost immediately, when Ali Lajami nodded on Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s throw from the corner to Aymeric Laporte, who scored at the far post to level the game.

Pioli’s team then gained the lead for the first time on the night when Angelo set up Sadio Mane, whose initial attempt from within the Al Kholood penalty area was saved by goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe. However, it was only as far as Talisca, who finished with his right foot to make the score 2-1. Muleka and Maolida once again teamed to score for Al Kholood. Muleka fed Maolida after an attack initiated by Alex Collado from the left, allowing the Comoros international to curl into the far corner to tie the game at 2-2 at halftime. However, things became worse for Al Nassr when Laporte had to be stretchered out due to an injury, and was replaced by Mohammed Al Fatil. It leaves manager Pioli concerned about the availability of the Spanish international centre-back ahead of the derby on November 1. In the second half of Friday’s match, Al Kholood replacement Hammam Al Hammami used excellent footwork to dance past Ayman Yahya and provide a low cross to Muleka, who was left with an easy tap-in to put the home side ahead once more.

However, the DR Congo forward’s heroics were short-lived in the extra period when he handled the ball inside the hosts’ penalty area, causing the referee to indicate to the spot. Talisca then confidently strode up and scored the equalizer. Al Nassr incurs its first loss under Pioli, while Al Kholood emerges from the relegation zone following its second consecutive draw since the appointment of manager Noureddine Ben Zekri. The Riyadh club, which finished as runners-up in the RSL last season, will enter Derby Week in third place, at least three points behind their forthcoming opponents, Al Hilal. On Saturday, the concluding game of Matchweek 8, the league leaders and reigning RSL champions will host Al Taawoun.