Jeddah, September 27 (HS): In a high-voltage Saudi Pro League clash, Al Nassr halted defending champions Al Ittihad’s unbeaten home run with a commanding 2-0 victory at King Abdullah Sports City on Saturday. Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane sealed the win, propelling Al Nassr to the top of the league table with 12 points from four matches, while Al Ittihad slipped to second with nine points.

Despite a vibrant home atmosphere with grand tifos and thunderous chants, Al Ittihad quickly found themselves under pressure. From the opening whistle, Al Nassr dictated play with incisive attacking moves. The breakthrough came in the 9th minute when Kingsley Coman delivered a precise cross from the right.

Mane latched onto it at the far post, firing a superb volley past the goalkeeper to put Al Nassr ahead.Cristiano Ronaldo nearly doubled the lead in the 14th minute but misjudged a header from another Coman cross. However, he made amends in the 35th minute. This time, Mane turned provider, whipping in a ball that Ronaldo powered into the net with an accurate header to make it 2-0.

Al Ittihad captain Karim Benzema tried to spark his side, threading passes to Steven Bergwijn, but the chances went begging. In the second half, Al Nassr slowed the tempo while still creating opportunities. Joao Felix was presented with several chances, the closest coming in the 39th minute when his effort from Mane’s cross sailed over the bar.

Cristiano Ronaldo squandered the easiest chance of the night in the 58th minute when Nawaf Boushal set him up in front of an open goal, only for the Portuguese star to lift the shot over the woodwork.

Despite the miss, Al Nassr held firm and preserved their two-goal cushion until the final whistle.The defeat ended Al Ittihad’s remarkable 19-match unbeaten streak at home, as Al Nassr stamped their authority in the league with a statement win against the reigning champions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar