Ronaldo and Coman on target as Al Nassr beat Al Diriyah 3-0
Al Nassr strengthened their title credentials with a controlled 3-0 victory over Al Diriyah at Al-Awwal Park, combining an aggressive early press with the patience to manage the contest after building a decisive first-half lead. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring before Samu Costa doubled the advantage, while Kingsley Coman completed the result in the 77th minute.
Early pressure puts Al Diriyah on the back foot
Ange Postecoglou’s side made the running from the outset, pressing high and restricting Al Diriyah’s attempts to play through midfield. Al Nassr’s defensive line held its position well, allowing the full-backs to advance and helping the home team keep the visitors contained in their own half for long spells.
Ronaldo struck in the 23rd minute to reward that territorial superiority. His movement caused problems for the visiting defence and created room for those around him as Al Nassr maintained their attacking momentum.
The second goal arrived 12 minutes later. Joao Felix supplied the corner and Costa converted in the 35th minute, leaving Al Diriyah with a major deficit before the interval.
Coman seals a comfortable night
Al Nassr were more measured after the break, retaining possession and denying Al Diriyah the openings required for a recovery. The visitors managed only one shot on target, with Bento required to make a single save on his way to a clean sheet.
Coman added the third goal in the 77th minute after being found by Sadio Mane. The winger’s finish removed any remaining doubt and capped a performance in which his pace and direct running had repeatedly stretched the opposition.
- Final score: Al Nassr 3-0 Al Diriyah.
- Goals: Ronaldo 23′, Samu Costa 35′, Kingsley Coman 77′.
- Joao Felix created Costa’s goal from a corner.
- Sadio Mane provided the pass for Coman’s late finish.
- Al Nassr recorded 52% possession, 17 attempts and 10 shots on target.
- Al Diriyah registered one effort on target.
Defensive platform and midfield control
Mohamed Simakan was particularly influential at the back, winning aerial contests, stepping in to intercept and recovering quickly when Al Diriyah tried to break forward. Inigo Martinez complemented him with a calm display in possession and maintained the defensive shape during the visitors’ limited counter-attacks.
Nawaf Al-Boushail’s positional discipline supported Al Nassr’s high line, while Awad Aman supplied width on the flank as well as defensive cover before leaving the field in the 84th minute.
In midfield, Abdullah Al-Khaibari screened the defence and kept the ball moving simply, giving Costa the platform to influence the tempo as well as score. Felix operated freely in the attacking areas, acting as the focal point of many of Al Nassr’s most dangerous moves before his late withdrawal.
Postecoglou uses his bench to finish the job
Postecoglou set his team up in a balanced 4-4-2 shape that gave Al Nassr control of the wide areas and a solid structure without the ball. The 10-1 advantage in shots on target reflected the scale of that control.
The manager refreshed his side once the outcome was secure. Ayman Yahya entered in the 78th minute to add energy, while Abdullah Al-Hamdan replaced Felix and continued to press the Al Diriyah defence. Sami Al-Najei came on for Al-Khaibari to reinforce midfield, and Saad Fahad Al-Nasser replaced Aman late on to help preserve the defensive shape.
With Ronaldo, Costa and Coman all on the scoresheet, and Mane and Felix supplying key contributions, Al Nassr produced a complete home performance that underlined their standing among the leading contenders.
