· 2 min readIn this Al Nassr vs Al Fateh match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
The official start of the Saudi Pro League always brings a different kind of curiosity, but this game had several extra ingredients. Al Nassr came into it as defending champions, but also with a new manager, new ideas and a rather unusual reality: the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo. On top of that, their only signing of the window, Samu Costa, was also available, and there was huge curiosity to see what would change in a team that had lost Brozovic and seemed to want to change its identity.
Ange Postecoglou was making his official debut and, from the first few minutes, it was clear that the team was looking for something different. Al Nassr looked more vertical, less concerned with having possession just for the sake of it and much more interested in speeding up the game whenever they found space.
João Félix started more towards the left and took centre stage very early. After 15 minutes, he produced one of the most impressive moments of the first half. He shot from outside the box, forced Waled Al-Enazi into a great save and, from the rebound, Ângelo appeared completely unmarked. It looked like a certain goal, but the shot was too central and the Al Fateh goalkeeper, still on the ground, somehow managed to make an incredible save.
Al Nassr’s attacking pressure continued to grow and the team started to make more use of long balls and the movements of the wingers. The goal felt inevitable and it came after 37 minutes. Salem crossed from the left, the ball went across the entire box and Ângelo appeared in a very difficult position. Without letting the ball touch the ground, he struck it first time, the ball bounced off the pitch and ended up in the back of the net. A beautiful goal and a completely deserved lead.
But the best was still to come in the 40th minute. João Félix received the ball inside the box, despite being under tight pressure, pulled off an elastico, put the ball through his opponent’s legs and finished into the near top corner. One of those goals that makes every fan jump out of their seat. The 2-0 reflected exactly what was happening on the pitch.
Al Fateh still tried to respond before half-time and came very close to reducing the deficit. On a quick counter-attack, Al Abdulwahed appeared completely free at the far post, but hit the post. It was far too clear a chance to waste.
The second half was much less interesting. The tempo dropped, the game became more balanced and chances practically disappeared. Even so, Mané finally started to get more involved in the attacks and Al Nassr continued to control the match.
Another important detail was the disappearance of Batna. Al Fateh’s main attacking threat never managed to impose himself, which made life much easier for the opposition defence.
In the 66th minute, the most anticipated moment of the second half arrived. Samu Costa came onto the pitch and it only took a few minutes for him to make his mark. In the 73rd minute, a cross found Al-Hamdan inside the box. The forward couldn’t control it, the ball fell backwards and Samu arrived facing the goal to strike it with power and score on his debut.
The 3-0 effectively closed the game, although Al Nassr still threatened to extend their lead. Yahya hit the post in the final minutes and the feeling was clear. The fourth goal was closer than Al Fateh’s first.
Post-match
The result shouldn’t be misleading. Al Fateh aren’t a weak team and Al Nassr showed some interesting signs in this first official game. The biggest difference was in their approach. The team looks much more vertical and less dependent on the slow circulation that we saw so often before.
