Overview
- Karim Benzema struck on 15 minutes, Angelo equalised from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross, and Houssem Aouar netted the first-half stoppage-time winner.
- Al Ittihad finished with 10 men after Ahmed Al Julaydan’s straight red early in the second half, yet Al Nassr could not find an equaliser.
- Ronaldo missed late chances, including a stoppage-time free-kick that hit the wall and went viral, as Kingsley Coman also spurned openings.
- Head coach Jorge Jesus defended Ronaldo, citing tiredness and exhaustion from a congested schedule, with Marcelo Brozović previously rested for a minor adductor tear.
- The defeat ends Al Nassr’s 10-match winning run and extends Ronaldo’s wait for major silverware in Saudi Arabia, though the club remains top of the league; Ronaldo posted, “We stand tall, learn, and move forward together.”