Laporte saves the day as Al-Taawoun stretch unbeaten run against Al-Nassr
A center-back did what the forwards couldn’t. Aymeric Laporte rose above a crowded box and powered home the equalizer that spared Al-Nassr a damaging defeat, sealing a 1-1 draw away to Al-Taawoun on January 17, 2025. The hosts had grabbed the lead deep into first-half stoppage time through Saad Al Nasser in the 45th minute plus five. Laporte answered on 64 minutes, using the one thing Al-Taawoun couldn’t fully neutralize—his aerial dominance.
This was not a one-off. The draw extends Al-Taawoun’s recent grip on this matchup: three straight unbeaten against Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, with one victory and two draws in that stretch. For a club that works with fewer resources, that run says plenty about structure and belief. For Al-Nassr, it’s another reminder that reputation and star names don’t move compact back lines.
The game followed a pattern the league’s elite know too well. Al-Nassr had more of the ball and more territory, but Al-Taawoun’s shape held. They closed the middle, tracked runners, and forced attacks wide. That kept Cristiano Ronaldo and his supporting cast in front of them, where the risk is lower and the game slows down. When the chance came at the other end, Al-Taawoun took it—striking in stoppage time to tilt the pressure squarely onto the visitors after the break.
Laporte brought Al-Nassr back from the brink. At 1.89 meters, the 30-year-old Spaniard has made a habit of attacking dead balls with timing, not just height. The equalizer fit the trend. He found a pocket, attacked the delivery, and made contact the defense couldn’t match. It was a veteran’s goal—calm, decisive, and exactly what a tense away night needed.
His importance to this squad goes beyond one moment. Laporte’s leadership and reading of danger stabilize Al-Nassr when games get messy. He came into the night already with four goals in 20 appearances this season—excellent output for a defender—and his latest strike only underlines the set-piece edge he gives them. In matches where clean chances are rare, that edge matters.
Al-Taawoun earned their point with discipline. They sat in, then sprang forward when the space appeared. The attacking phases were short and direct, built to catch Al-Nassr before their rest defense was set. Their opener right before halftime hurt the most: concede there, and the team chases for the whole second half. It forced Al-Nassr to push numbers higher and earlier than planned, which suited the hosts’ counter game.
For Al-Nassr, this is a familiar frustration. With Ronaldo, Anderson Talisca, Sadio Mané, and a midfield stacked with top-level experience, they have the quality to blow teams away. But packed defenses change the math. You need rehearsed patterns, quick circulation, and clever movement off the ball. Too often, the attacks drifted into hopeful crosses, where Al-Taawoun felt comfortable. Laporte’s header rescued the night, but the visitors still left feeling like two points slipped.
And yet, credit where it’s due. Al-Taawoun have built a clear identity: tight lines, full-backs that don’t over-commit, and a midfield that senses when to break pressure. That plan has worked against Al-Nassr more than once now. Being unbeaten in three against one of the most expensive squads in the region isn’t an accident. It comes from repetition and from players knowing exactly what their job is, especially under stress late in halves.
The wider picture matters too. The Saudi Pro League keeps showing that money and star power won’t guarantee weekly wins. Opponents prepare better, and coaching details decide games. In that world, set pieces become a separator. Laporte is proof. He changes not only how Al-Nassr defend but how they attack. He forces opponents to commit extra bodies at corners and free-kicks, which can free teammates for second balls.
Momentum swung a few times after the break. Al-Nassr pushed, Al-Taawoun bent and then broke lines to breathe. The hosts’ discipline on the edge of their area—blocking shots, steering play into traffic—kept the score level. The visitors’ best periods came when they moved the ball faster through midfield and resisted the easy cross, instead using third-man runs and late arrivals at the top of the box. Those passages were too brief to tilt the outcome, but they showed the route forward.
Laporte aside, the lesson for Al-Nassr is tactical, not individual. When teams sit in, you beat them with timing: runners from deeper areas, a switch of play before the block can reset, and more cut-backs than high crosses. Their personnel can do that. The rhythm has to be sharper. If they tidy up those details, the points will follow.
For Al-Taawoun, this point is a statement and a platform. It confirms that their approach holds up under pressure against the league’s heaviest hitters. It buys belief in the dressing room, and belief fuels legs in the last 20 minutes of tight games. Their challenge is consistency: bring the same structure against mid-table sides who won’t give you the same emotional edge, and the table will reward it.
Key takeaways and what comes next
- Laporte delivers again: a commanding header on 64 minutes rescued a point and reinforced his growing attacking threat from set pieces.
- Al-Taawoun’s plan worked: compact shape, controlled counters, and a clinical strike from Saad Al Nasser at 45+5.
- Matchup trend: Al-Taawoun are unbeaten in their last three against Al-Nassr (one win, two draws), closing a resource gap with organization and discipline.
- Al-Nassr’s puzzle: star power isn’t the issue; breaking low blocks with speed, rotations, and better final-third choices is.
The schedule tightens from here, with league fixtures and cup dates crowding the calendar. Rotations will matter, but rhythm matters more. For Al-Nassr, turning control into clean chances is the clear to-do. For Al-Taawoun, it’s about doubling down on what works while adding a bit more threat in open play. If both sides hit those notes, we’ll be talking about them deep into the spring.