Al-Nassr dropped two points on Friday following a 2-2 draw at home to Abha, the visitors equalizing in added time after the hosts missed chances to seal their seventh successive win.
The late strike from Karl Toko Ekambi also prevented the Yellows from going second in the table.
Few would have predicted such an outcome in the first half as it took just three minutes for the hosts to give fans in Riyadh something to cheer about. Cristiano Ronaldo’s sublime backheel found Marcelo Brozovic on the left side of the area and the Croatian squared the ball to Otavio in a central position. The Portuguese star beat one defender and then stroked the ball into the bottom corner for the smoothest of finishes.
Al-Nassr were moving the ball around in impressive fashion to leave the visitors chasing shadows.
It was no surprise that the second goal arrived two minutes before the half hour. Sadio Mane crossed from the left and Anderson Talisca nipped in front of two defenders to nudge home from the edge of the six-yard box.
It looked as if Abha were going to take a serious beating but they were soon back in the game.
Otavio may have scored the first but was guilty of a clumsy challenge on the edge of the area and Tunisian midfielder Saad Bguir sent Nawaf Al-Aqidi the wrong way from the spot.
The home team continued to push forward after the break, but while they got in good positions on numerous occasions, either the final ball was lacking or Abha were able to get a body or a foot in the way.
Ronaldo had been waiting for a clear chance and thought he had got his goal midway through the second half, but as he turned to send Brozovic’s pass into the net, the 38-year-old had strayed offside. Soon after, he sent a free-kick into the wall.
With 15 minutes remaining, Talisca, who had just headed over, was pushed over in the area by Ahmad Jamal. Fans shouted for a penalty but the referee shook his head.
Al-Nassr tried hard but could not finish the game off and there was always the danger that Abha would snatch another.
Fahad Jumayah produced an almost perfect pass from the edge of the area to find Toko Ekambi, but Al-Aqidi got down quickly to make a crucial save.
His opposite number did the same with five minutes remaining. Ronaldo’s quick low shot from outside the area looked destined for the bottom corner but Ciprian Tatarusanu just managed to stop what would have been a killer strike.
And by keeping his side in the game, the Romanian helped earn a point as Abha made Al-Nassr pay for their missed chances, Toko Ekambi picking up the ball outside the area before unleashing a fierce shot that beat the flying hand of Al-Aqidi.
There is still a long way to go this season but the dropped points could prove costly for Al-Nassr.
