Al-Nassr maintain 100% start to Saudi Pro League season with home victory over Al-Taawoun

DUBAI: Al-Nassr had another scare on Friday night when they once again fell behind, before pulling off a 2-1 comeback win against Al-Taawoun at Al-Awwal Park to maintain their 100 percent start to the Saudi Pro League season.

The reigning champions top the table with the maximum 12 points from four matches, while Riyadh rivals Al-Hilal, who enjoyed a comfortable 5-1 away victory over Al-Khaleej, sit in second place on nine points after three games.

Al-Nassr’s fans were silenced in the 11th minute when Bassam Al-Hurayji reacted quickest to tap home the rebound from close range after a Mohammed Al-Aqel shot was deflected by goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi onto the crossbar.

It took until first-half stoppage time for the home side to restore parity, when a Sadio Mane layoff was struck first time by Samu Costa from outside the penalty area past the goalkeeper, Mailson. The unrestrained reaction from the goalscorer, and the home fans, told its own story: relief all round.

There was perhaps a sense of inevitability about Al-Nassr’s second, which arrived five minutes after the restart. A Mohammed Simakan shot appeared goal bound before Cristiano Ronaldo made sure by diverting it into the roof of the net from close range.

Coach Ange Postecoglou’s comeback kids, who overcame a two-goal deficit to beat Al-Ettifaq 3-2 on Tuesday (with 10 men), had done it again.

While Al-Nassr toiled somewhat to get the job done at home, Al-Hilal’s away win at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam was rarely in doubt. French forward Mohammed Meite gave the blues the lead after only 15 minutes with a delicate glancing header, before Segej Milinkovic-Savic, who had provided the assist for the opener, doubled the lead just before the half-hour