Al Taavoun with the Bulgarian national Marin Petkov in the starting lineup failed to maintain its lead and ended 1:1 with Al Ettifaq in a match from the 12th round of the Saudi Professional League. The hosts were one step away from a valuable success, but allowed an equalizer in the final minutes.
The match was held at “Al Taavoun Arena“ in Buraydah, where the hosts needed the three points in the fight to stay in the elite.
The former Levski footballer Marin Petkov once again received the trust of the coaching staff and started from the first minute. The Bulgarian was active on the flank, participated in his team's attacks and helped with the pressure that Al Taavoun exerted on the opponent.
The hosts had the initiative for most of the match and managed to open the score. For a long time it seemed that this goal would be enough to win the three points.
At the end of the match, however, Al Etifaq took advantage of a hesitation in the opponent's defense and managed to restore the draw - 1:1. Thus, Al Taavoun missed the opportunity to record an extremely important success in front of their own audience.
After the shared points, Marin Petkov's team remains in the penultimate, 17th place in the standings with only 5 points. Al Etifaq occupies the seventh position with 19 points.