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Ronaldo Substituted at Half-Time as 10-Man Al-Nassr Complete Dramatic Comeback

Posted : 26 August 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo was taken off at half-time as Al-Nassr overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Al-Ettifaq in a thrilling Saudi Pro League encounter.

Al-Nassr suffered an early setback when goalkeeper Bento was sent off after only 12 minutes, leaving the defending champions with 10 men. They were trailing 2-0 at the interval, prompting manager Ange Postecoglou to replace Ronaldo, who was making his first start since the World Cup.

The decision initially appeared surprising, with Ronaldo showing his frustration as he left the field. However, Postecoglou's tactical changes ultimately paid off as Al-Nassr produced an impressive second-half response.

Sadio Mane and Abdulelah Al Amri scored within three minutes of each other to bring Al-Nassr level with 13 minutes remaining. Mane then completed the comeback in stoppage time, securing all three points for the Saudi giants.

The victory maintained Al-Nassr's perfect start to the season, with three wins from three matches moving them to the top of the Saudi Pro League table.

Postecoglou explained that Ronaldo's substitution was based on his tactical plans and the player's lack of recent competitive action. The Australian coach praised the impact of his substitutes and said Ronaldo had performed exceptionally during the first half before the team changed its approach after the break.

Postecoglou became Al-Nassr manager last month following his dismissal by Nottingham Forest in October after only 39 days in charge. Ronaldo, meanwhile, recently married Georgina Rodriguez and has indicated that the current campaign could be his final season as a professional footballer.

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