JEDDAH: Al-Nassr won 2-0 at Al-Ittihad on Friday to move three points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League, thanks to first-half goals from Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Going into the match — the biggest of the season so far — these were the only two teams in the SPL with a 100 percent record, with three wins from three, adding an extra edge to a game that is already one of the biggest in Asia. Now Nassr have four from four and are looking good.
There was a big crowd in Jeddah to roar on the defending champions and while Al-Ittihad started brightly, the Tigers were unable to get on the scoresheet.
Then after nine minutes, Al-Nassr took the lead in some style to stun the home fans. Kingsley Coman chipped the ball in from the right and there was Mane to volley home at the far post, giving goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic no chance.
Both teams continued to have chances, but 10 minutes before the break, Mane crossed from the left for Ronaldo to head home from close range.
From that point on, although Al-Ittihad doubled their efforts, it seemed as if there would be just one winner. Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, came close with a low shot soon after he scored, but despite both teams having chances, the scoreline stayed the same.
In the end, Al-Nassr took the win and are now three points clear at the top of the standings.
Earlier on Friday, Al-Ahli, who suffered a surprise 3-1 defeat at home to Pyramids of Egypt in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup on Tuesday, bounced back with a 2-0 win at Al-Hazm.
Firas Al-Buraikan opened the scoring after 72 minutes and Ali Majrashi sealed the win eight minutes later.
This league round is the last before the international break, during which the Saudi Arabia team faces games against Indonesia and Iraq, with a place at the 2026 World Cup up for grabs.
