Cristiano Ronaldo made his first start of the season for Al Nassr, but ended up watching the most dramatic moments of the match from the bench as his side completed a stunning 3-2 comeback win over Al Ettifaq at Matchday 3 of the Saudi Pro League.
The captain had chances early on, including a missed opportunity in the box in the ninth minute when he opted to look for a teammate instead of shooting, but the game turned just three minutes later when goalkeeper Bento was sent off, leaving Al Nassr down to 10 men. Al Ettifaq capitalized on the extra man advantage, with Ondrej Duda and Álvaro Medrán scoring either side of halftime to put the hosts 2-0 up.
With his side down a man and trailing on the scoreboard, Ange Postecoglou made the call to withdraw Ronaldo at the break in favor of Al-Khaibari, looking to protect his captain’s fitness in a match that appeared to be slipping away.
The switch paid off in dramatic fashion: Abdulelah Al-Amri headed home from a Sadio Mané corner to pull one back, before Mané himself completed the turnaround with a brace, including a goal in the dying moments to seal a 3-2 win.
The result keeps Al Nassr perfect through three matches this season, though the story of the night belonged to the players who delivered the comeback rather than Ronaldo, who was left to watch the finish unfold from the sideline.
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The 41-year-old will look to add to his tally in search of the 1,000-goal milestone when Al Nassr return to action, still sitting on 977 career goals after his goal against Al Riyadh.
Postecoglou reveals his halftime message to the players
Speaking after the match, Ange Postecoglou explained what he told his players during the break as Al Nassr trailed 2-0. “When we went into halftime trailing, I explained to the players that the two goals could be recovered because they came from shots on goal. We had a chance to utilise the wings, and that’s what we did,” the Australian coach said during a press conference.
Postecoglou also praised his squad’s response given the extra man disadvantage they faced for the majority of the match. “What happened today is truly something to be proud of because my team achieved a victory under exhausting and difficult circumstances,” he added, reflecting on a win that came together despite the red card and the early setbacks.
