Al Nassr completed an impressive comeback in the Saudi Pro League against Al Ettifaq, where one of the surprises was the halftime substitution of Cristiano Ronaldo. Following the match, head coach Ange Postecoglou explained the reasoning behind the move.
Postecoglou made it clear that he is there to help the team, explaining the replacement of several stars, including Ronaldo. “When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact,” Postecoglou said. “I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution.”
Ronaldo was substituted at halftime after being seen visibly upset while heading to the locker room, demanding more intensity from his teammates. The star forward was taken off with Al Nassr still trailing 2-0 on the scoreboard.
Dismal start for Al Nassr
Losing goalkeeper Bento to a red card left Al Nassr staring at a heavy defeat. Bento raced off his line and brought down Moussa Dembele, prompting the referee to brandish a straight red card.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr.
Down to 10 men, Al Nassr made an emergency change as young goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi replaced Angelo to guard the net in a difficult early test. Al Ettifaq made the extra man count, pressing until Doda collected the ball on the edge of the box in the 31st minute and lashed it into the top corner past the backup keeper.
Deep into first-half stoppage time (45+3′), Alvaro Medran doubled the lead. Latching onto a pass from Yasser Al-Shammari, Medran unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box to send the hosts into the break up 2-0.
Postecoglou’s decisive changes
Chasing a comeback after the break, Al Nassr made a change by bringing on Abdullah Al-Khaibari for Ronaldo. Postecoglou later subbed off Kingsley Coman and Samu to bring in Sami Al-Najei and Al-Hamdan.
Inigo Martinez came within inches of pulling one back in the 53rd minute, only to see his shot strike the post. Al Ettifaq’s goalkeeper then repelled an effort from Joao Felix.
Joao Felix turned provider in the 74th minute, threading a pass through to Sadio Mane. The Senegalese striker burst into the box and drilled a right-footed finish into the far corner, hauling Al Nassr back into the contest. The equalizer followed in the 77th minute when Joao Felix swung in a corner that Abdulelah Al-Amri met from close range, burying his header to make it 2-2.
Then came the winner. Sami Al-Najei drove a rapid counter-attack in the 90th minute and slipped the ball to Mane, who fired home from the middle of the box to complete a historic comeback and snatch all three points.
