After the defeat in the 'semi' of the Saudi Super Cup, against their rivals Al Hilal (2-1), Al Nassr added their fifth consecutive win in the championship this Friday, when they defeated Al-Fayha 3-1, with the right to a turnaround. Otávio played the 90 minutes, unlike the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo (due to the controversial elbow that led to his expulsion in the Riyadh derby), in a match in which Luís Castro was not present because he had recently undergone surgery.

The match did not start well for the Saudi runners-up, since, in the sixth minute of the match, Sakala opened the score, motivating a quick reaction from the team that was under the orders of Vítor Severino. With Otávio always standing out, Al Nassr only 'forced' the referee to consult the images on the VAR on the third penalty claim (with many doubts in the first two attempts), however, Sadio Mané would end up wasting it scandalously, at 42 minutes.

In the second half, the visiting team still threatened to extend their advantage, but the truth is that the 'somersault' on the scoreboard would end up appearing within the last 20 minutes. Al Amri restored equality with a precise header (72') and, four minutes later, Sadio Mané took advantage of a pass from Otávio to make it 2-1 in the match (76'). The final 3-1 came from the feet of the Senegalese international, at 82 minutes, redeeming himself from the missed penalty with a decisive brace.

The final moments were also marked by some conflicts between players within the four lines, culminating in the expulsion of Sakala (88').

With this result, Al Nassr now has 68 points, nine behind the leader Al Hilal, by Jorge Jesus and Rúben Neves, when there are still six rounds to play. Al-Fayha occupies the 11th position, with 35 points, the same as Al Khaleej, by Pedro Emanuel, and Al-Shabab, by Vítor Pereira.

Lineups

Al Nassr:

|| Starting lineup,@AlNassrFC vs #AlFayha pic.twitter.com/xa6uyuly9O

— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) April 19, 2024

Al-Fayha:

| STARTING XI 🆚 #AlNassr

#Alfayha #with_alfayha #yallaRSL pic.twitter.com/PQslUDnnAa

— Alfayha Club (@Alfaihaclub_en) April 19, 2024

Preview

Ten days after being eliminated from the 'semis' of the Saudi Super Cup, by Jorge Jesus' Al Hilal (2-1), Al Nassr will once again focus on the championship this Friday, when they host Al-Fayha.

Without Cristiano Ronaldo (sent off in the final stretch of the last duel due to a controversial elbow), Luís Castro's team (absent due to surgery) will try to continue their winning streak, despite the 12-point disadvantage to Jorge Jesus' team.

Al-Fayha, on the other hand, is comfortable in the middle of the table, with 35 points, in 11th place, and could even move up to seventh position.

The duel is scheduled to start at 4 pm (mainland Portugal time), in Riyadh, and you can follow the incidents of the match, live, on Desporto ao Minuto.

Also Read: With punishment in sight, Cristiano Ronaldo remains focused on Al Nassr (Portuguese version)