Ronaldo taken off as Al Nassr fight back to beat Al-Ettifaq

Cristiano Ronaldo endured a difficult night as Al Nassr came from behind to beat Al-Ettifaq, with the Portugal forward substituted at half-time after a visibly frustrated first half.

Al Nassr hit early trouble

Al Nassr faced a major test in the third round of the Saudi league and the task became even harder almost immediately. From the 12th minute, they were down to 10 men after Bento was sent off.

That setback was reflected on the scoreboard before the break. Al-Ettifaq moved 2-0 ahead through goals from Ondrej Duda and Alvaro Medran, leaving Al Nassr with a mountain to climb.

Ronaldo's frustration on show

Ronaldo's body language told its own story during the first half. The veteran forward was clearly unhappy with how the game was unfolding and did not hide his emotions.

As he headed in at the interval, he was reported to be gesturing angrily, shouting and even removing the captain's armband. According to TyC Sports on X, the Portuguese star repeatedly showed his anger towards his team-mates before Ange Postecoglou decided to replace him at the break.

The Al Nassr coach made a bold call by withdrawing Ronaldo and introducing midfielder Abdullah Al Khaibari for the second half.

Postecoglou's decision changes the game

It was the kind of substitution that inevitably drew attention, given Ronaldo's status and the circumstances of the match. But it proved decisive as Al Nassr found a way back despite their numerical disadvantage.

Sadio Mane thought he had pulled one back early in the second half, only for his effort in the 53rd minute to be ruled out after a VAR review. He did get his goal in the 74th minute, this time with no doubt over the decision.

Momentum quickly shifted. Just three minutes later, Joao Felix set up Abdulelah Al Amri for the equaliser, and Al Nassr suddenly had belief.

Mane completes the comeback

The turnaround was completed in the 90th minute when Mane struck again to put Al Nassr in front for the first time on the night. Al-Ettifaq were unable to respond, and the comeback was complete.

For Ronaldo, it was not a personal evening to remember, but for Al Nassr the bigger picture was clear. Reduced to 10 men, two goals down and forced into a high-profile half-time change, they still found a way to win 3-2.