Stefano Pioli’s tenure as Al Nassr manager began with a resounding victory, as his team secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League. The match, held at the Ettifaq Club Stadium on Friday, saw a dominant performance from the Knights of Najd, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Salem Al-Najdi, and Anderson Talisca all finding the back of the net.
The game started slowly, with both teams struggling to create any meaningful chances in the opening stages. However, Al Nassr gradually took control of the match, with Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq side spending much of the match chasing the ball.
The breakthrough came in the 33rd minute, when Abdullah Madu brought down Sultan Al-Ghannam inside the box, resulting in a penalty for Al Nassr. Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty, calmly slotting the ball into the back of the net, scoring his 902nd career goal for club and country.
Al Nassr continued their dominance into the second half, doubling their lead in the 56th minute through Al-Najdi. Sadio Mane played a precise through ball to Al-Najdi, who expertly finished from a tight angle past Ettifaq goalkeeper Marek Rodak.
Talisca added the third goal in the 76th minute, capitalizing on a cutback from Mane. The Brazilian striker finished with a first-time strike, sealing a comfortable victory for Al Nassr.
This win moves Al Nassr into fourth place on the Saudi Pro League table with eight points from four matches, while Al Ettifaq remains in third place with nine points from the same number of games. Ronaldo’s impressive start to the season, combined with the overall strength of the Al Nassr squad, suggests that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Saudi Pro League this season.
