Video: without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr defies logic and beats Al-Ittifaq with a stunning comeback
The world-class side returns with the character of champions
Al-Nassr turned a two-goal deficit against hosts Al-Ettifaq into a thrilling 3-2 victory, playing with ten men from the 12th minute, in a dramatic clash in the third round of the Saudi Roshn League.
The task looked beyond them after goalkeeper Bento saw red. Yet Al-Nassr rallied after the break and pulled off a historic comeback, escaping the trap their own keeper had set to leave with all three points.
Bento leaves Al-Nassr in a predicament
Al-Nassr came out looking for goals, but Al-Ittifaq carried the greater threat in spells. Then, in the 12th minute, came the blow. Bento rushed off his line, brought down Moussa Dembélé, and the referee had no hesitation in showing the Al-Nassr goalkeeper a straight red card.
That forced an emergency reshuffle. On came the young goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi in place of Angelo, thrown straight into a difficult early test between the sticks.
Duda and Medran double the shock
Al-Ettifaq made their numerical advantage count. Pressing hard for the opener, they finally broke through in the 31st minute. Duda collected the ball on the edge of the box and rifled it into the top corner to beat Al-Nassr's keeper.
Alvaro Medran doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time. Latching onto a pass from Yasser Al-Shamrani in the 45+3 minute, he unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box to send the hosts in 2-0 up at the break.
Ronaldo out: Mane and Al-Amri complete the comeback
Al-Nassr came out for the second half chasing a comeback, sending on Abdullah Al-Khaibari for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Inigo Martinez almost pulled one back in the 53rd minute, only for his shot to strike the post. Al-Ettifaq's goalkeeper then denied Joao Felix.
Felix slipped a through ball to Sadio Mane in the 74th minute. The Senegalese striker burst into the area and drilled his right-footed effort into the right corner, cutting the deficit and dragging Al-Nassr back into the match.
The equaliser arrived soon after. Felix swung in a corner in the 77th minute and Abdulelah Al-Amri met it from close range, burying it to make it 2-2.
Al-Nassr kept the pressure on. Al-Ettifaq's goalkeeper saved from Mane in the 82nd minute, before the Global side were flagged offside twice in the 89th and 90th minutes.
Sami Al-Najei then led a swift counter-attack in the 90th minute and fed Mane, who fired home the third from the middle of the area.
