Al Nassr shook again, but this time it didn’t fall. At home to Al Shabab, on the 16th round of the Saudi League, the team of Jorge Jesus, João Félix and Cristiano Ronaldo started by wasting a two-goal lead, before sealing their return to triumphs (3-2) at a stage in which they were already playing with numerical superiority.
Os canarinhos They entered the game with everything. Haunted by three consecutive defeats in the championship, they were already leading 2-0 before the first 10 minutes of the match had concluded.
First, Saad Balobaid scored an own goal (2m) after a good play between Cristiano Ronaldo and João Félix, and shortly afterwards Kingsley Coman doubled the lead with a bicycle kick.
Despite the good start, Al Nassr was unable to hide the uneasiness that has been troubling them recently and, after a false start by goalkeeper Bento that Ferreira Carrasco was unable to take advantage of (20m), Al Shabab even managed to reduce, in the 31st minute, in a move in which the action of Carlos Júnior (ex-Santa Clara) led to Mohamed Simakan’s own goal.
The draw would not be long in coming. It appeared in the opening moments of the second half, pointed out by Carlos Júnior, who took advantage of a slip by Iñigo Martínez to isolate himself and beat Bento.
The lost advantage woke up Al Nassr, who only failed to make it 3-2 in the 64th minute because Marcelo Grohe, with a difficult defense, denied Wesley.
Shortly afterwards came the expulsion of Vincent Sierro (67m), which helped to intensify the pressure from the locals, who ended up scoring, in the 76th minute, by Abdulrahman Ghareeb, reloading an incomplete save by the Al Shabab goalkeeper. And thus, they sealed their return to winning ways in the League, four days later.
In the remaining games this Saturday, Al Ahli won, with difficulty, at Al Kholood (1-0), thanks to a lucky goal from Ivan Toney (74m), and recorded their fifth consecutive victory in the championship, which leaves them in second place in the Saudi League, equal with Al Nassr. The duo now has 34 points, four less than commander Al Hilal.
Also noteworthy is the draw (1-1) between Pedro Emanuel’s Al Fayha and Armando Evangelista’s Damac. The goals were scored in the first half, by Fashion Sakala (26m, penalty) and Abdullah Al Qahtani (41m).
The two teams remain separated by three points in the league table, with an advantage for Al Fayha, who has 14.
