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Late penalty drama saves Al-Nassr again! Anderson Talisca rescues a point in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence as Saudi Pro League title hopefuls draw with Al-Kholood

Late penalty drama saves Al-Nassr again!

Anderson Talisca rescues a point in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence as Saudi Pro League title hopefuls draw with Al-Kholood

Al-Nassr were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Kholood in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday, with Anderson Talisca scoring a late penalty to rescue a point for the title hopefuls.

Cristiano Ronaldo was absent for Al-Nassr due to a two-match ban, but Talisca stepped up to score his sixth goal of the season and keep his team's unbeaten record intact.

Al-Kholood took a shock lead in the first half through Abdullah Al-Qarni, but Al-Nassr leveled through Talisca just before half-time.

Al-Kholood restored their lead in the second half through Firas Al-Buraikan, but Talisca's penalty in the 89th minute earned Al-Nassr a share of the spoils.

The draw leaves Al-Nassr in second place in the Saudi Pro League table, two points behind leaders Al-Ittihad.

Talisca to the rescue

With Ronaldo suspended, Talisca was the man Al-Nassr looked to for inspiration, and the Brazilian did not disappoint.

He scored a stunning free-kick to level the scores just before half-time, and then kept his cool to score the equalizer from the spot in the dying minutes.

Talisca has now scored six goals in his last five games for Al-Nassr, and he is quickly becoming one of the most important players in the team.

Al-Kholood show their quality

Al-Kholood are a newly promoted team, but they showed that they are capable of competing with the best teams in the Saudi Pro League.

They took the lead twice against Al-Nassr, and they were unlucky not to come away with all three points.

Al-Kholood will be a tough test for any team this season, and they will be looking to cause more upsets in the coming weeks.

Title race remains tight

The draw between Al-Nassr and Al-Kholood leaves the Saudi Pro League title race wide open.

Al-Ittihad are still the leaders, but Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are both within touching distance.

There are still plenty of twists and turns to come in the title race, and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top.