'Today they chose to fight' - Postecoglou hails 'outstanding' Al Nassr in 10-man fightback

Down to 10 men, down 2-0 away from home with little more than 15 minutes remaining, Al Nassr’s players stood up.

Somehow, in the sapping heat and humidity in Dammam, the Roshn Saudi League champions summoned enough to first drag Al Ettifaq back in and then, as the clock ticked beyond the 90 minutes, seal an incredibly win.

Al Nassr triumphed 3-2, completing the comeback without captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who was withdrawn right after half-time. After a truly remarkable conclusion to Matchweek 3, the title-holders stay top of the nascent 2026-27 RSL standings, their 100 percent start to the season intact.

Like almost anyone who’d watched it all unfold, Ange Postecoglou did well to compose himself before laying bare just what it took to get the three points.

“Firstly, just very proud of the players,” the still-new Al Nassr manager said. “It's already difficult conditions here with the humidity. Everyone knows how difficult it is to play with 10 men for so long and be 2-0 down [goalkeeper Bento was sent off on 12 minutes for a foul on Moussa Dembele]. 

“And I thought in the second half we were the better team. The players showed great courage, belief, and I'm very, very happy for them that they got the reward.

“I try and help them, but it's really the players. The players are the ones who out there, have the belief and, like I said, the courage to still play. And I thought the players were outstanding.”

"Outstanding" was right. Al Ettifaq were two goals to the good thanks to long-range strikes from Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran, both of which should, admittedly, have been better dealt by substitute goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al Otaibi. 

But Al Nassr responded. They hit the post. They had a goal ruled out for offside. Then Sadio Mane began the fightback on 74 minutes, deputy captain Abdulelah Al Amri drew the visitors level, and right on 90 minutes, Mane raced clear and finished expertly past Al Ettifaq's Turki Baaljawsh.

The champions had done it. However, was it grit, or good fortune?

“As the [reporter before you said], nothing is by luck,” said Postecoglou, his shirt drenched given the conditions. “Everything is hard work and sweat, as you can see. 

“But what you have to understand is that it's not just about the player quality, it's about what kind of person they are. So yes, they're top-quality players, but they're fighters. And today they made a decision to fight. 

“Doesn't matter how difficult it was, they weren't going to accept it. And that shows more than playing ability. It shows their character.”

Predictably, Postecoglou was asked more than once about the decision to take off Ronaldo. The two-time RSL golden boot sat out Al Nassr’s opening two matches of the season - league and King's Cup - then returned last time out at Al Riyadh, albeit given 30 minutes as a substitute. 

In true Ronaldo fashion, he scored.

“My job is to try and help the players in every game with what I observe," Postecoglou said. "And look, with Cristiano, we know he hasn't played a lot of football. So, with 10 men to have him out there after 45 minutes - he did a great job for us in the first half - but we needed a different approach in the second half.”

“I think there's a bigger story today and that is that 10 men of Al Nassr were unbelievable. That's all you should write about today. 

“Everything else doesn't matter, because it doesn't matter what team [we have on the pitch]. If you see 10 men in those conditions for so long, from 2-0 down to come back, that's the only story today. 

“But again, for me, I'm just standing here and I was sweating. Watching the players do this is, is unbelievable.”