JEDDAH – If you were expecting a quiet Friday night, you clearly weren’t at the King Abdullah Sports City. In a match that felt more like a Hollywood thriller than a league game, Al-Ahli just handed Al-Nassr their first “L” of the season in a chaotic 3-2 victory.
Ivan Toney decided to be the main character today, scoring twice in the first 20 minutes (7′ and 20′). He was moving so fast he almost left his own shadow behind! Al-Nassr’s defense looked like they were still recovering from New Year’s Eve, but they didn’t go down without a fight. Abdulelah Al-Amri—who usually leaves the scoring to the guys with the big contracts—decided to become a striker for a day, scoring twice (31′ and 44′) to make it 2-2 before halftime.
The second half was a tactical chess match until Merih Demiral popped up in the 88th minute to seal the win.
The Spicy Stats:
- 11: The number of games Al-Nassr’s unbeaten streak lasted before Al-Ahli ruined the vibe.
- 13: Goals for Cristiano Ronaldo this season. He’s still the top scorer, but today he had fewer touches than a phone in airplane mode (only 18 total).
- 31: Points for Al-Nassr, who stay top of the table by a whisker, while Al-Ahli jumps to 4th place with 25 points.
Sorry, CR7, but the “Bride of the Red Sea” (Jeddah) was not in a romantic mood for you tonight!