Al-Nassr, led by the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, were left stunned after a 3-2 defeat to Al-Ettifaq.
The hosts dominated the first half, but just couldn’t find the back of the net. Ronaldo came closest, testing Marek Rodak with a string of good saves. But it was Al-Ettifaq who almost snatched the lead on the stroke of halftime, hitting the post and forcing a double save from Bento in stoppage time.
Fast forward to the second half, and Ayman Yahya’s opener for Al-Ettifaq was nothing short of fortunate. The ball ricocheted off his head as Al-Ettifaq tried to clear a Sadio Mane cross. But Al-Nassr responded quickly, with Georginio Wijnaldum’s equalizer initially ruled out for offside before being overturned by VAR.
Just when it seemed like Al-Nassr were taking control, Mohammed Al-Fatil’s own goal handed Al-Ettifaq the lead. But wait, there was more! Wijnaldum sealed the win with an 89th-minute counter-attack goal, and Jhon Duran’s petulant swipe at an opponent earned him a red card in stoppage time.
It was a wild finish to a match that will leave Al-Nassr’s title hopes hanging by a thread.
