Al-Nassr secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final, overcoming the early dismissal of Sadio Mane and a spirited performance from their rivals.
Goals from Mane and Joao Felix, with Cristiano Ronaldo heavily involved, were enough to earn Al-Nassr a spot in the final.
Cristiano Ronaldo had an early chance inside the opening minutes, firing wide after being set up by Mane, while Kingsley Coman also struck over from a promising position.
At the other end, Karim Benzema and Houssem Aouar came close for Al-Ittihad, but Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento did well to deal with the danger.
The breakthrough arrived in the 10th minute. Marcelo Brozovic picked out Sadio Mane with a clever pass, and the Senegalese forward kept his composure to finish low into the bottom corner.
Their joy, however, was short-lived. In the 16th minute, Al-Ittihad hit back through Steven Bergwijn. A slick move down the flank saw Moussa Diaby supply the assist, and Bergwijn fired into the corner to level the score at 1-1.
The match took another twist midway through the first half when Mane turned from hero to villain. The forward was initially booked for a reckless foul on Hamed Al-Shanqiti, but following a VAR review, the referee upgraded the decision to a straight red card in the 25th minute.
Despite the setback, Ronaldo continued to threaten. He saw one long-range free kick sail over before testing goalkeeper Hamed Al-Shanqiti with a sharp effort before half-time. At the other end, Benzema nearly put Al-Ittihad in front just before the break, but Bento denied him with a superb stop. The sides went in level at 1-1.
Second half drama
The second half opened with Al-Nassr determined not to let their numerical disadvantage show. Mohamed Simakan headed wide from a Brozovic corner, while Felix struck the post from a tight angle after being set up from a set-piece.
Ronaldo, dropping deep to orchestrate play, slipped a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Joao Felix. The Portuguese forward made no mistake, guiding a precise finish into the bottom corner to put Al-Nassr 2-1 ahead in the 61st minute.
There was immediate drama soon after, with Ronaldo himself appearing to have scored, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal for a foul in the build-up.
The closing stages were chaotic. Substitutions and yellow cards disrupted the rhythm, while Al-Ittihad threw everything forward in search of an equaliser. Saleh Al-Shehri came closest, forcing Bento into a fine save with a late header, before heading wide moments later.
The final whistle sparked relief and celebration among the Al-Nassr players, who had battled bravely with ten men for over an hour.
