CWON Press

The image highlights Al Nassr’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Al Ettifaq despite playing with 10 men, led by Sadio Mané’s two goals and Abdulelah Al-Amri’s equalizer after trailing 2-0 at halftime. (This image was generated using generative AI with ChatGPT.)

Al Nassr recovered from a 2-0 halftime deficit and an early red card to beat Al Ettifaq 3-2 in Dammam, with Sadio Mané scoring twice and Abdulelah Al-Amri adding the equalizer. Cristiano Ronaldo started but was substituted at halftime.

Al Nassr produced a second-half comeback to defeat Al Ettifaq 3-2 on Tuesday in Matchweek 3 of the 2026-27 Saudi Pro League, despite playing most of the match with 10 men. Goalkeeper Bento was sent off in the 12th minute, Al Nassr went into halftime trailing 2-0, and captain Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted at the start of the second half. Sadio Mané then scored twice around a goal from Abdulelah Al-Amri to complete the comeback and preserve Al Nassr’s perfect start to the league season.

Bento Sent Off After 12 Minutes

The match changed early when Bento came out of his penalty area and brought down Al Ettifaq forward Moussa Dembélé. Referee Mohammed Al-Huwaish showed the Brazilian goalkeeper a straight red card in the 12th minute for denying what was judged to be a clear goalscoring opportunity. Al Nassr responded by withdrawing winger Ángelo Gabriel and introducing young goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi, leaving the visitors to play almost the entire match with 10 men. Al Ettifaq took advantage of the numerical superiority. Ondrej Duda opened the scoring in the 31st minute, striking from outside the penalty area into the upper corner. Álvaro Medrán doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time, scoring in the 45+3 minute after receiving a pass from Yasser Al-Shammari and shooting from distance. Al Ettifaq therefore entered halftime with a 2-0 lead against an Al Nassr side playing with a substitute goalkeeper and one fewer player.

Ronaldo Replaced at Halftime

Cristiano Ronaldo started the match for Al Nassr but did not return for the second half. Manager Ange Postecoglou replaced him with midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari as Al Nassr adjusted its approach while playing with 10 men. Postecoglou later said the decision reflected both Ronaldo’s recent lack of playing time and the tactical demands created by Bento’s red card. Ronaldo had missed Al Nassr’s opening matches before returning as a substitute against Al Riyadh, where he scored in a 4-0 victory. The Al Ettifaq match was therefore still part of his gradual return to regular minutes. Postecoglou said after the match that Al Nassr needed “a different approach” in the second half and emphasized the performance of the 10 players who completed the comeback.

Al Nassr Increased the Pressure After the Break

Despite being a player down, Al Nassr created several chances early in the second half. Iñigo Martínez struck the post, while João Félix forced a save as the visitors began to apply sustained pressure. Al Nassr appeared to score through Mané shortly after halftime, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review. The Saudi Pro League’s official match account lists the disallowed effort in the 52nd minute. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 74th minute. João Félix played Mané through the Al Ettifaq defense, and the Senegal international finished to reduce the deficit to 2-1. Three minutes later, the score was level. Félix delivered a corner and Abdulelah Al-Amri headed in from close range in the 77th minute, making it 2-2.

Mané Scores the Winner in the 90th Minute

Al Nassr continued attacking rather than settling for a draw. Al Ettifaq goalkeeper Turki Baaljawsh denied Mané in the 82nd minute, and Al Nassr also had late attacks stopped for offside. The decisive goal came in the 90th minute. Sami Al-Najei carried the ball forward on a counterattack and released Mané, who finished past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the match and gave Al Nassr a 3-2 lead. The winning goal was checked by VAR for a possible offside before being confirmed.

Match Timeline

Minute	Event
12′	Bento (Al Nassr) sent off
31′	Ondrej Duda — Al Ettifaq 1-0
45+3′	Álvaro Medrán — Al Ettifaq 2-0
HT	Cristiano Ronaldo substituted
52′	Mané goal disallowed for offside
74′	Sadio Mané — 2-1
77′	Abdulelah Al-Amri — 2-2
90′	Sadio Mané — Al Nassr 3-2

The scoring sequence and match events are consistent across the Saudi Pro League’s official account and the Times of India match report.

Refereeing Decisions Also Drew Attention

Two refereeing incidents were discussed after the match. Refereeing analyst Mohamed Kamal Risha, cited by GOAL, argued that the free kick immediately preceding Bento’s dismissal should not have been allowed to continue because the ball was still moving when Al Ettifaq restarted play. However, Risha said the red-card decision itself was correct once the play had been allowed to continue, because Bento denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. He also noted that VAR could not intervene over the procedural issue involving the moving ball. Risha also reviewed a separate incident involving Ronaldo in the 38th minute. He argued that Al Ettifaq goalkeeper Turki Baljoush made illegal contact with Ronaldo after failing to reach a cross and said, in his assessment, VAR should have recommended a penalty review. No penalty was awarded during the match. That assessment represents the opinion of the refereeing analyst rather than an official post-match ruling by the Saudi Pro League or refereeing authorities.

Al Nassr Remain Perfect After Three League Matches

The victory took Al Nassr to nine points from three matches, maintaining a 100 percent record and leaving the defending champions at the top of the early Saudi Pro League standings. Al Ettifaq remained on six points following the defeat and stood sixth after the match. Postecoglou focused afterward on the response of his team rather than the individual circumstances surrounding Ronaldo’s substitution. Al Nassr had played with 10 men for nearly 80 minutes, conceded twice before halftime, and entered the final 17 minutes still trailing by two goals. The three goals from Mané and Al-Amri changed the result and kept Al Nassr’s perfect league start intact.

Final Score

Al Ettifaq 2-3 Al Nassr

Al Ettifaq:
Ondrej Duda 31′
Álvaro Medrán 45+3′

Al Nassr:
Sadio Mané 74′, 90′
Abdulelah Al-Amri 77′

Red card:
Bento, Al Nassr 12′

Halftime: Al Ettifaq 2-0 Al Nassr
Full time: Al Ettifaq 2-3 Al Nassr