· 2 min readIn this Al Nassr vs Abha match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Al Nassr came into this game with one clear obligation: to win. After the defeat against Al Ittihad, there was the perfect opportunity to recover and also take advantage of Al Hilal’s shock defeat against Neom. On the other side was a weaker Abha side, who came to defend deep and try to survive.
Without the injured Coman and the suspended João Félix, the attacking creativity was a question mark. And Al-Hamdan’s inclusion in the starting XI confirmed an important change: Nassr started with two forwards, something they had not done since Jhon Durán left in 2025.
The expected scenario appeared immediately. Abha sat back in a 5-4-1 and Nassr had the ball, looking for spaces. Ronaldo had a good opportunity after a low pass from Mané, but he did not make proper contact. Shortly afterwards, Abha nearly surprised them on the counter-attack, with Alimami Gory cutting inside and hitting the post.
But the team who had to score was the one who scored. From an Ângelo corner, Ronaldo escaped his marker, won the ball in the air and caught it with his boot, placing it practically into the top corner. 1-0. A beautiful header and Cristiano’s 979th career goal. It is a pleasure to watch him score.
Nassr continued to create danger. Simakan did an excellent defensive job to prevent Batshuayi from finishing and, on the other side, Ronaldo hit the post after a beautiful turn and shot. Ronaldo and Al-Hamdan also alternated between dropping deeper to link up play and staying central, which gave the attack some dynamism. The team had 11 shots at half-time and 68% possession, but the lead was still a narrow one.
In the second half, Nassr continued to control the game and finally extended their lead. Ângelo received on the left, beat his marker and put the ball into the box. The Abha centre-back made a poor clearance and Al-Hamdan appeared to control it and fire into the back of the net. 2-0. The game seemed to be over.
And it really did, until Bento went back to being Bento. From a free-kick out wide, Fekir noticed that the goalkeeper was badly positioned and decided to shoot directly instead of crossing. Bento got a touch to the ball, but could not prevent the goal. 2-1 and, suddenly, Abha came to life.
Nassr began to manage the game with more nerves and Abha had a huge opportunity to equalise. Batshuayi received the ball after a ridiculous mistake from Simakan, carried it forward and shot just wide of the far post. Almost 2-2.
Even so, Abha were too passive in the final minutes and Nassr managed to control the game until the final whistle. Ângelo once again put in a good performance, showing his consistency once more.
Post-match
Al Nassr won, recovered after the defeat against Ittihad and did what was expected of them. But the victory once again left the same question: Bento inspires absolutely no confidence. With Al-Aqidi on the bench, it is difficult not to ask whether it is time for a change.
