Jeddah, JurnalPost.com - Al-Nassr suffered their first defeat of the 2026/2027 Saudi Pro League season after falling 1-2 to Al-Ittihad at Alinma Stadium, Jeddah. Cristiano Ronaldo played the full match but failed to score as the defending champions' perfect run finally came to an end.
Both of Al-Ittihad's goals were scored by young forward George Ilenikhena in the first half. Al-Nassr was only able to narrow the deficit through Ângelo Gabriel.
The defeat caused Al-Nassr to lose momentum in the top-tier race. As of Tuesday (8/9/2026), Ange Postecoglou's side sits in second place in the standings with 12 points from five matches.
Al-Hilal still leads with 15 points from six matches, despite having just suffered a surprise 0-2 defeat to NEOM.
Ilenikhena Punishes Al-Nassr from the Opening Minutes
Al-Ittihad applied pressure from the moment the match began.
George Ilenikhena opened the scoring for the hosts just four minutes into the match. The Nigerian forward capitalized on an opportunity inside the penalty box to beat the Al-Nassr goalkeeper.
Al-Nassr attempted to respond, but the Al-Ittihad defense successfully stifled the pressure built by Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates.
Ilenikhena became a nightmare for the visitors again in the 22nd minute.
Receiving a through ball from Houssem Aouar, Ilenikhena unleashed a left-footed finish into the bottom corner of the net to give Al-Ittihad a 2-0 lead.
Two goals in less than half an hour left Al-Nassr in a difficult situation.
The visitors were only able to provide an answer in the 36th minute.
Al-Nassr's attack began with a chance from João Félix that was still thwarted by goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic. The pressure continued until Ângelo Gabriel finally scored to change the score to 2-1.
That score held until halftime.
Cristiano Ronaldo Fails to Save Al-Nassr
Al-Nassr appeared more aggressive in the second half. However, the Al-Ittihad defense was able to withstand the pressure continuously applied by the visitors.
Cristiano Ronaldo played for 90 minutes and tried to find space in the opponent's defensive line.
The Portuguese star even provided a through ball to João Félix during the attacking sequence that led to Ângelo's goal.
However, Ronaldo did not manage to get his name on the scoresheet.
Al-Nassr tried repeatedly to equalize, but Rajkovic performed solidly under the Al-Ittihad crossbar. Based on Saudi Pro League match statistics, the goalkeeper made seven saves.
By the time the referee blew the final whistle, the 2-1 score for Al-Ittihad remained unchanged.
The result also halted Al-Nassr's perfect start, having previously won their first four Saudi Pro League matches this season.
Ange Postecoglou's First Defeat
The result in Jeddah also marked the first league defeat for Ange Postecoglou since taking charge of Al-Nassr.
The Australian coach took over the team in July 2026 and immediately led Al-Nassr to an impressive start to the season.
Before facing Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr won their first four matches and were in a tight race with Al-Hilal.
However, Al-Ittihad managed to find a way to stop Al-Nassr's aggressive play.
The victory also ended Al-Nassr's winning streak in the Saudi Pro League.
For Postecoglou, this defeat is the first test in his efforts to defend the league title that Al-Nassr won last season.
João Félix in the Spotlight After the Match
In addition to Al-Nassr's defeat, João Félix also drew attention after the match.
The Portuguese player appeared disappointed and refused to speak at length to reporters.
“If I speak, I will expose this league,” said Félix in a recording that circulated after the match.
The remark came after Félix endured a heated match and received a yellow card.
There has been no further explanation regarding the meaning of the statement.
However, his comments quickly became a topic of discussion in international sports media and added to the spotlight on Al-Nassr's first defeat of the season.
Al-Hilal Still Leads Standings Despite Also Falling
Al-Nassr's defeat had given Al-Hilal a major advantage in the top-tier race.
Al-Hilal closed the fifth week with five wins from five matches and led the standings alone.
However, their perfect record also ended.
On Monday (7/9/2026), Al-Hilal was surprisingly defeated 0-2 by NEOM at Kingdom Arena.
An own goal by Kalidou Koulibaly and a goal by Amadou Koné ensured NEOM took home three points.
The defeat also ended Al-Hilal's 47-match unbeaten streak in the Saudi Pro League.
Despite the loss, Al-Hilal remains in first place with 15 points from six matches.
Meanwhile, Al-Nassr is right behind them with 12 points from five matches.
This means the race at the top is still open because Al-Nassr has one game less than Al-Hilal.
Saudi League Competition Getting Tighter
The results of the last few days have made the Saudi Pro League competition even more interesting.
Al-Nassr lost their perfect record after being defeated by Al-Ittihad, while a day later Al-Hilal also finally fell at the hands of NEOM.
Al-Ittihad itself received a huge confidence boost from the victory over Ronaldo and his teammates.
George Ilenikhena became the main figure of the match after scoring two goals that determined the hosts' victory.
For Al-Nassr, the defeat is a reminder that the journey to defend the title is still long.
Ronaldo and his teammates must now immediately return to winning ways if they do not want Al-Hilal to pull away in the race.
With Al-Hilal collecting 15 points and Al-Nassr 12 points but still having one game in hand, the battle for the top spot of the 2026/2027 Saudi Pro League is wide open again.
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