Al Nassr completed an impressive comeback victory against Al Ettifaq on Matchday 3 of the Saudi Pro League, a match where Cristiano Ronaldo‘s halftime substitution drew significant attention before head coach Ange Postecoglou later explained the decision.
Despite the halftime exit, Ronaldo took to social media to show his support via an Instagram story featuring a photo of the squad embracing. “WHAT. A. COMEBACK,” Ronaldo posted, using three simple words to celebrate the win.
The comeback was delayed until the final minute, when Sadio Mane scored the third goal to overcome the two-goal deficit following a key assist from Sami Al-Najei.
Postecoglou’s tough decision
With the squad down to 10 men and trailing 2-0, Postecoglou made a decision few managers would attempt. Al Nassr first needed numerical parity on defense.
Cristiano Ronaldo Instagram story.
That requirement had nothing to do with Ronaldo’s goalscoring ability and everything to do with his position on the pitch, as he is a player who takes no part in the pressing and recovery phases.
Even with that explanation, the point still stands: This marks the first time this season that a coach, in a moment of genuine crisis, decided the route back into a match ran not through Ronaldo, but entirely without him.
Postecoglou demonstrated authority by making it clear that his priority is helping the team win and doing what is best for the group. “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.”
