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At halftime during Al Nassr's match against Al Ettifaq, Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted by manager Ange Postecoglou, and the coach has since explained the tactical reasoning behind the unexpected move. Al Nassr completed a thrilling comeback win against Al Ettifaq. However, Cristiano Ronaldo was not on the pitch to experience it, as the Portuguese star was substituted at halftime by manager Ange Postecoglou. The first half against Al Ettifaq was a nightmare for Al Nassr, as they trailed 2-0 on the road after goalkeeper Bento was sent off with a straight red card in the 12th minute. Postecoglou was forced to adjust his strategy, and surprisingly, Ronaldo was the one sacrificed in the tactical scheme. At halftime, Ronaldo was replaced by midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari. After the match, Postecoglou explained the reasoning behind the bold decision. “When I made the substitutions, including taking Ronaldo off, I believed the players coming on could make an impact,” Postecoglou explained. “I came here to help the players, so as I said, I’m proud of them because every substitute made a positive contribution.” Al Nassr fulfill an epic comeback win Trailing 2-0, Al Nassr rallied in the second half to secure a sensational 3-2 victory over Al Ettifaq. While many expected Ronaldo to be the central hero of such a win, his teammates stepped up to carry Al Nassr over the line. Sadio Mane scored a crucial second-half brace—assisted twice by Joao Felix—to guide Al Nassr to their third consecutive victory of the 2026–27 Saudi Pro League season. Even without Ronaldo on the pitch, Al Nassr proved they possess the squad depth to remain dominant under challenging circumstances. Sadio Mane celebrating with the fans at full time. pic.twitter.com/tAFXhleWOd— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) August 25, 2026 With three matchdays completed, Al Nassr sit atop the SPL table with a perfect nine points out of nine. They have scored 10 goals in their opening fixtures while allowing just two, demonstrating an explosive offense and resilient tactical structure. Al Nassr need Bento back soon In the 12th minute of the match, Bento was shown a straight red card after halting an Al Ettifaq goal-scoring opportunity outside the box. Following the ejection, Al Nassr conceded two opening-half goals—their only goals allowed so far this season—underscoring how important Bento’s presence is to Postecoglou’s defensive blueprint.
Newcastle United have now joined the race to sign the AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao. The 27-year-old is set to be on the move this summer, and he has been linked with Aston Villa as well. The West Midlands club is exploring a potential move for the Portuguese international, and they will face competition from […] The post Newcastle join Aston Villa in race for 10-goal star as Jorge Mendes works on late move appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Cristiano Ronaldo's schedule with Al Nassr has suffered numerous changes, involving competitions like the Saudi Pro League and Saudi Super Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo has officially made his first appearance of the 2026-27 season, a campaign he has indicated could potentially mark his final year as a professional soccer player. While the team’s initial roadmap was set, his upcoming schedule with Al Nassr will undergo a significant reshuffle following updates to both the Saudi Pro League and Saudi Super Cup calendars. First, the Saudi Pro League announced date adjustments for four distinct matchdays, impacting Matchdays 8, 9, 10, and 11. Matchday 8 was originally scheduled to take place prior to the upcoming international break, where Ronaldo is expected to join Portugal for UEFA Nations League duty, but those fixtures will now be played after the international window. The schedule shift was made in coordination with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to allow extended preparation time ahead of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup. With the tournament taking place between September 23 and October 6, the domestic league will continue play despite Saudi Arabia’s national team commitments, though the changes aim to optimize player recovery, according to an official statement published on the league’s website Sunday. Under the revised framework, the official date changes across the Saudi Pro League are as follows: Matchday 8: Shifted from September 17-19 to October 9-11Matchday 9: Shifted from October 9-11 to October 15-17Matchday 10: Shifted from October 15-17 to October 18-20Matchday 11: Pushed back to October 23 instead of October 22 to comply with mandatory rest periods Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr celebrates with the Saudi Pro League Trophy. (Abdullah Ahmed/Getty Images) For Al Nassr, these calendar revisions directly alter their upcoming fixtures against Al Diriyah for Matchday 8 on September 17, Matchday 9 against Al Ahli, and Matchday 10 against SC Neom. The updated kickoff times for those individual matches remain to be announced, with King’s Cup and AFC Champions League Elite fixtures also slotted between domestic league dates. Saudi Super Cup schedule also moved The Saudi Super Cup presents another silverware opportunity for Ronaldo during his current run with Al Nassr. Typically held prior to the start of the domestic campaign, the tournament was pushed back on the calendar to accommodate player rest following the 2026 World Cup. After capturing the Saudi Pro League title last season, Al Nassr qualified for the tournament alongside Al Ahli, Al Qadsiah, and Al Kholood. Originally slated to run from November 30 to December 4, 2026, the four-team tournament has been adjusted to align with the broader league changes. موعدنا يتجدّد مع كأس السوبر السعودي 🗓️🏆تعرّفوا على المواعيد المحدّثة لمنافسات البطولة 🔽 pic.twitter.com/TONucYvstN— كأس السوبر السعودي (@SaudiSuperCup) August 23, 2026 The revised 2026-27 Saudi Super Cup semifinals are now scheduled for December 19 and 20, with the final set for December 23, 2026. Those matches will serve as Ronaldo’s final competitive appearances of the calendar year before Al Nassr return to action on February 8, 2027, against Al Shamal SC in the AFC Champions League Elite.
Midfielder Yunus Musah, who started just five games for AC Milan last season, went the full 90 for the first time since August of 2024 as the Rossoneri won its Serie A opener under new coach Ruben Amorim. The 23-year-old Musah, who became the youngest U.S. World Cup starter ever at Qatar 2022, didn’t make […] The post Yunus Musah rebounds at AC Milan appeared first on Soccer America.
Manchester United have received a significant boost in their search for a new full-back, as transfer target Alejandro Balde has made a clear decision regarding his future at Barcelona. According to a report from SPORT, the 22-year-old left-back has officially given the green light to his agent, Jorge Mendes, to negotiate his departure from the […] The post Man United handed major boost as €50m transfer target gives green light to move appeared first on CaughtOffside.
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