Al Nassr 3-0 thrashing of Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League Match

Al Nassr continue dominance over Al-Ettifaq with all above accompanied especially by the contribution from Cristiano Ronaldo. The much-awaited game of the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr FC and Al-Ettifaq will make way in the stadium on September 20, 2024. Al Nassr FC bagged the much-needed 3-0 victory over Al-Ettifaq, thanks to goals by Cristiano Ronaldo, Sultan Al Najdi, and Anderson Talisca. This win has further transformed Al Nassr FC into a title contender and also portrayed how this team is performing so well this season. Even though Al-Ettifaq have made their level best, they could not keep up the attacking potency of the rival side and surrendered in front of the well-combined Al Nassr FC.

First Half: Ronaldo’s Composure Gives Al Nassr the Lead
Both teams begin the game with a concentration to take the upper hand as Al Nassr has won a game in a row. The home side, Al-Ettifaq, tries their best to absorb the pressure and catch Al Nassr on the counter-attack, but the visitors’ defence is unyielding.

The breakthrough came in the 33rd minute as a feisty Cristiano Ronaldo stepped forward to slot a penalty, awarded for a foul on Sadio Mane within the box. Calmly and collectedly, Ronaldo slotted past Al-Ettifaq’s goalkeeper to give Al Nassr a 1-0 lead over Al-Ettifaq. This, however, apart from demonstrating how devoted Ronaldo is in terms of being so brilliant on the goal front, would also determine the course of the rest of the match.

Al Nassr continued their onslaught all through the first half with Mane and Otavio constantly creating opportunities at the wings. However, Al Nassr’s defense, spearheaded by Moussa Dembele, remained solid for Al-Ettifaq, and the score remained 1-0 at half time.

Half-time: Al Najdi and Talisca Seal the Match
Half-time had finally come and Al Nassr continued their pressure on Al-Ettifaq’s defense. And, just a couple of minutes into the half, Al Nassr’s Seko Fofana was shown a yellow card for a clumsy challenge, which momentarily slowed them down. Nevertheless, the visitors rejuvenated the game very quickly; and in the 56th minute, Sultan Al Najdi doubled Al Nassr’s lead.

Al-Najdi concluded the team move with a slot from inside the box, scoring after being set up by Sadio Mane. Mane, who played throughout the match was also very instrumental in providing the playmaking skills by assisting, further extending Al Nassr’s lead to 2-0.

Al-Ettifaq tried to respond with some substitutions in the 60th minute, bringing A. Medran and J. Costa on to give some fresh input into the team. Al Nassr maintained the control of the game unshaken.

In the 71st, though, the match was now out of reach for Al-Ettifaq as Anderson Talisca made it 3-0 with another clever combination that Mane organized, his second assist of the match. This time, flair and technical talent would seal the move, again at the expense of his own Al Nassr team; home supporters could now start reveling in victory once more.
End
Al-Ettifaq could not capitalize on most of the opportunities created during the match. They only had two shots on target while Al Nassr was at eight. However, Al-Ettifaq had 46% possession over Al Nassr, yet they could not find a gap in Al Nassr’s defense, well marshaled by Al Fatil and Simakan. The side only could come up with three shots off target. They also took hope from set pieces to threaten Al Nassr’s goal.

Moussa Dembele of Al-Ettifaq was yellow carded in the 88th minute as frustration for the home team grew in their side’s lackluster efforts, on as well as off the pitch. His caution reflected the problems Al-Ettifaq was experiencing; they were being outplayed both going forward and at the back.

Al Nassr were clinical in contrast; their midfield dominated the passing game completing 523 passes against Al Ettifaq’s 427. Not only sharp going forward, the visitors were good at the back as their goalkeeper was able to make five important saves to keep his clean sheet.

Substitutes and Tactical Changes:
Both the managers did a lot of tactical changes in the game to try and alter the direction of play. Al Nassr coach made tactical changes with the introduction of fresh legs in the 78th minute, bringing in Maran for Talisca and Ali for Otavio, which helped the team hold and protect its attacking momentum together with consolidating the midfield.

Al-Ettifaq’s coach reacted by making his own substitutions, such as introducing A. Hindi for K. Toko Ekambi in the 73rd minute, but all these substitutions did little to alter the course of the game.

Match Statistics
The match was a controlled win for Al Nassr, holding more ball possession (54% versus 46% for Al-Ettifaq), attacking more (43 dangerous ones to 39 by Al-Ettifaq), and holding more shots towards the opponent’s goal (8 on target for Al Nassr against 2 for Al-Ettifaq). The team even had more corners at 6 to 3 and committed fewer fouls (12 to 19 fouls from Al-Ettifaq). Both teams have asserted their solidity in their respective games.

This victory keeps the pressure on as Al Nassr looks to build its momentum ahead of the campaign in the Saudi Pro League. The addition of a star player like Ronaldo, Mane, and Talisca is already making a colossal difference in their quest for the league title, meaning their attacking form will make them very tough to play against in the next weeks.

Al-Ettifaq will have to regroup and get some order back in the defensive matters if they are going to come back from the shock of this defeat. Al Nassr’s inability to maintain tempo and accuracy in the last third exposed some shortcomings that other teams would like to take advantage of in the future.

Conclusion
A statement of intent by the Saudi giants, Al Nassr’s 3-0 victory over Al-Ettifaq was on the cards, not least by virtue of their playing under the stewardship of Cristiano Ronaldo, who, along with Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca bringing in a great deal of creativity. Their dominance throughout the match only reminds one of the big potential Al Nassr could have to vie for top honors this season. Meanwhile, Al-Ettifaq will have to find solutions not to suffer more of such defeats.

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