Why Cristiano Ronaldo Was Subbed Off Before Al Nassr's Epic Comeback Win Over Al Ettifaq

• Al Nassr head coach Ange Postecoglou has explained his decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo at halftime
• Ronaldo was visibly frustrated heading to the dressing room as Al Nassr trailed 2-0 and were reduced to 10 men against Al Ettifaq
• Despite the Portuguese football icon's absence, Al Nassr staged a dramatic second-half fightback to bag all three points

Ange Postecoglou has explained his decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo at half-time during Al Nassr's dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.

Ronaldo was taken off after Al Nassr fell 2-0 behind in a chaotic first half that saw goalkeeper Bento sent off.

Why Ronaldo was subbed off at halftime

Postecoglou defended the decision, insisting his changes were made to give Al Nassr the best chance of recovering from a difficult situation. He said, as quoted by Bolavip:

"When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact."

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"I came here to help the players, so as I said, I'm proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution."

Bento's dismissal forced Al Nassr into an early reshuffle, with backup goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi coming on for Angelo.

Watch Bento's red card incident, as shared on X:

Doda then gave Al Ettifaq the lead in the 31st minute before Alvaro Medran doubled the advantage deep into first-half stoppage time.

Ronaldo, who could retire at the end of the season, appeared frustrated as he walked towards the dressing room at half-time, but Postecoglou opted not to send the 41-year-old back onto the pitch.

Sadio Mané inspires Al Nassr's epic comeback

Abdullah Al-Khaibari replaced Ronaldo as Postecoglou made further changes in search of a response.

The visitors gradually found their rhythm after the break, with Inigo Martinez hitting the post before Joao Felix went close.

The comeback finally began in the 74th minute when Felix released Sadio Mane, who raced into the box and calmly finished into the far corner.

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Just three minutes later, Felix's corner found Abdulelah Al-Amri, who headed home to level the contest.

With the game heading towards a draw, Mane struck again in the 90th minute after Al-Najei launched a quick counter-attack.

Watch Mané's match-winner, as shared on X:

The Senegalese forward's second goal completed a remarkable turnaround and secured three points for Al Nassr despite playing much of the match with 10 men.

For Postecoglou, the comeback also offered a strong early indication of the character within his squad, even without Ronaldo on the pitch.

Ronaldo scores after wedding to Georgina

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal since marrying Georgina Rodriguez as Al-Nassr cruised to a 4-0 win over Al Riyadh on August 21.

The 41-year-old returned to competitive action after Portugal’s elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Source: YEN.com.gh