Cristiano Ronaldo made his first start of the season on Tuesday, but the Al Nassr captain was taken off while his side were 2-0 behind against Al Ettifaq, before the Riyadh outfit mounted a dramatic comeback to secure victory.
The 41-year-old led an attacking lineup that also featured Sadio Mane, Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman.
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However, Al Nassr were reduced to 10 men after goalkeeper Bento received a red card, while Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran gave Al Ettifaq a two-goal advantage before the interval.
Ronaldo returned to the field for the second half but was substituted almost immediately.
Cristiano Ronaldo was furious after being substituted, but Ange Postecoglou’s decision was ultimately vindicated as Al-Nassr came from 2-0 down with 10 men to win 3-2. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/nFhyCzg07S https://t.co/4Z1s0y49Jm
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) August 26, 2026
His number was displayed in the 46th minute, with Abdullah Al Khaibari coming on in his place. As he walked off, Ronaldo appeared to ignore the Al Nassr bench.
The tactical switch ultimately worked, as Mane scored twice during the final 17 minutes to complete a remarkable 3-2 comeback for the visitors.
Al Nassr manager Ange Postecoglou defended his decision to remove Ronaldo, saying: “When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact.
“I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution.”
Postecoglou continued: “I’m here to help the team with what I see, and everyone knows that Ronaldo hasn’t played in a long time. He performed exceptionally well in the first half, and we opted for a different approach. My credit goes entirely to the players who delivered a fantastic performance in these conditions.”
Al Nassr’s problems began early when Bento was sent off in the 12th minute for stopping a clear goalscoring opportunity outside his penalty area.
Abdulrahman Al Otaibi entered the game as his replacement, but the substitute goalkeeper was at fault for both of Al Ettifaq’s goals.
Duda opened the scoring after collecting a loose ball just outside the box. The Slovakian moved the ball onto his right foot before firing from distance, with Al Otaibi failing to deal with the effort and inadvertently allowing it to find the back of the net.
Al Ettifaq extended their advantage in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Medran unleashed another shot from long range, and Al Otaibi could only get his hands to it without preventing the ball from crossing the line.
Mane then launched Al Nassr’s comeback in the 74th minute. The Senegal international met an excellent pass from Joao Felix before sending a low finish beyond Turki Baaljawsh.
Just three minutes later, Joao Felix provided another assist. This time, Abdulelah Al Amri climbed above the defence to head home the Portuguese midfielder’s curling corner.
Al Ettifaq’s defence switched off again late in the contest, giving Mane the opportunity to sneak through and score his second goal of the night, completing the turnaround and securing all three points for Al Nassr.
The victory means Al Nassr have won all three of their league matches at the start of the season.
However, Ronaldo’s response to being substituted is likely to remain the biggest talking point from the dramatic comeback.
