Big surprise in Saudi Arabia on Monday, where the Al Nassr club, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané, lost to Al-Ettifaq, led by Marcel Tisserand, in the opening match of the championship. The final score of 2-1 sealed Al-Ettifaq’s victory at Al-Ettifaq’s Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium.
Despite Sadio Mané’s early opener for Al Nassr in the 4th minute, the game quickly turned into a nightmare for Cristiano Ronaldo’s teammates. In the 47th minute, Robin Quaison put the two teams level before Moussa Dembelé decided the fate of the match by scoring a superb goal in the 53rd minute.
The solid defense of Al-Ettifaq, led by a Marcel Tisserand in great shape, did not give up and knew how to annihilate the incessant attacks of Al Nassr. The player, former Fenerbaçe, shone by winning all his duels and playing a key role in the victory of his team, thus contradicting the forecasts which gave them little chance.
This surprise defeat of Al Nassr against Al-Ettifaq shows that in football, anything can happen. The favorites are not immune to a reversal of the situation and each match is a new opportunity for the less rated teams to create a surprise.
This meeting thus inaugurates the Saudi Arabian championship in an unexpected way, suggesting an exciting competition full of twists and turns. Football fans will have their eyes on the upcoming matches to see if Al-Ettifaq can continue to upset the league heavyweights or if Al Nassr can quickly recover from this defeat