Friday night’s Saudi Pro League match between Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad played up to its reputation as one of the league’s marquee games. The encounter had star power written all over it, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané taking against Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kanté — and the sparks flew quickly.
Sadio Mané scored a fantastic goal just nine minutes into the game. After a smart offensive sequence, the Senegalese attacker fired a tremendous left-footed strike into the back of the goal, freezing the Al-Ittihad defence and stunning the stadium. It was a moment of absolute brilliance, the kind of unique spark that only Mané can generate.
From that point forward, Al-Nassr dominated the fight.
Cristiano Ronaldo, ever the leader, capitalised on Mané’s early vigour by coordinating assaults and keeping the pressure on Benzema. Al-Ittihad struggled to develop a rhythm and only managed two efforts on goal throughout the game, both of which were easily dealt with by goalkeeper Bento.
Then came the knockout punch.
In the second half, Mané switched roles, slipping a perfectly placed pass into Ronaldo’s path, who calmly converted to make it 2-0. The goal not only secured the victory, but also propelled Ronaldo to second position in the league scoring chart.
Al-Nassr triumphs against Al-Ittihad for the first time.
The result was Al-Nassr’s fourth consecutive league victory, extending their unbeaten start to the season and putting them three points ahead of the standings. It was Al-Ittihad’s first loss of the season, and it served as a stark reminder of how deadly Al-Nassr can be when Mané and Ronaldo are at their peak.
Mané scores. Ronaldo scores. Al-Ittihad is silenced.
A dominant performance, a historic goal, and a decisive victory in one of Saudi football’s most heated rivalries.
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