Al-Nassr produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the Saudi Pro League season, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Al-Ettifaq 3-2 despite playing most of the match with 10 men.
The Riyadh club suffered a major setback as goalkeeper Bento was sent off in the 12th minute, leaving Al-Nassr a man down. Al-Ettifaq capitalised on the numerical advantage to take a 2-0 lead, putting the visitors in serious trouble.
Cristiano Ronaldo started the game but was substituted at half-time, with manager Ange Postecoglou opting to change his approach after Al-Nassr fell behind. Ronaldo watched from the bench as his teammates launched their extraordinary second-half response.
Sadio Mané became the hero of the comeback, scoring twice after Abdulelah Al-Amri had pulled one goal back. Mané’s decisive strike came late in the game to complete a dramatic 3-2 turnaround and secure all three points for Al-Nassr.
The victory keeps Al-Nassr’s perfect start to the Saudi Pro League campaign intact and provides an early indication of the resilience of Postecoglou’s side. Can Al-Nassr continue to win big games even when Ronaldo is not on the pitch?
