Sadio Mane inspires Al-Nassr comeback after disastrous first half

Sadio Mane scored twice in the final 15 minutes as Al-Nassr recovered from a three-goal deficit to beat Al-Ettifaq 3-2 and claim a valuable victory in the third round of the Egyptian League.

Al-Nassr were forced to play with 10 men for almost the entire match after goalkeeper Bento was shown a straight red card in the 12th minute. The dismissal left the league holders facing a difficult evening, and Al-Ettifaq took full advantage during a chaotic first half.

Duda opened the scoring for Al-Ettifaq in the 31st minute before Alvaro Medran doubled their advantage in the 49th minute. Al-Nassr appeared to be heading towards a heavy defeat after a disastrous opening period, but the second half brought a dramatic turnaround.

Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted at half-time, with Abdullah Al-Khaibari coming on in his place. Al-Nassr initially thought they had reduced the deficit when Mane found the net in the 53rd minute, but the goal was ruled out following a review by the video assistant referee.

Despite that setback, Mane continued to lead Al-Nassr’s response. The Senegal forward eventually scored a valid goal in the 74th minute to give his side hope of completing the comeback.

Al-Nassr then drew level only three minutes later, with Abdulilah Al-Amri finishing an attack to make it 2-2. Joao Felix created both the first and second goals of the comeback, helping his side turn the contest around after being reduced to 10 players.

With the match entering its final moments, Mane completed Al-Nassr’s remarkable recovery by scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute. His late finish secured all three points for the side after they had been two goals behind and a player short.

The result leaves Al-Nassr on nine points from three matches, maintaining their perfect record in the competition. Al-Ettifaq remain on six points after suffering their first defeat of the campaign.

Al-Nassr will return to action on Friday, when they face Al-Taawoun in the fourth round of the Egyptian League.