Al Nassr Beat Al-Faisaly 3-1 as Angelo Gabriel Scores

Al Nassr sealed a 3-1 away win over Al-Faisaly at Majmaah Sports City, with Angelo Gabriel coming off the bench to score the decisive third goal in the 79th minute.

Gabriel’s finish restored Al Nassr’s two-goal advantage after Theo Bongonda had briefly put Al-Faisaly back in contention. The result keeps Al Nassr applying pressure at the top of the table.

Quick facts

Al Nassr won 3-1 at Majmaah Sports City.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored in the fourth minute from Sadio Mane’s assist.
Cristiano Ronaldo made it 2-0 four minutes after half-time, supplied by Joao Felix.
Theo Bongonda struck in the 66th minute for Al-Faisaly.
Substitute Angelo Gabriel scored in the 79th minute after entering in the 67th.

Al Nassr made a fast start and Al-Hamdan’s early finish gave them the platform for a controlled first half. Mane created the opener, while Ronaldo’s movement continued to occupy the home defence as Al Nassr dictated the more dangerous attacking passages.

Al-Faisaly remained a threat on transitions, however, and Al Nassr went into the interval with only a one-goal lead. Bento faced just two efforts on target across the match and had little chance with Bongonda’s well-placed strike.

Ronaldo doubled the lead in the 49th minute after Felix found him with a precise pass. Felix repeatedly worked into space between the lines, while Al-Hamdan’s runs created room around the penalty area before he was replaced after 81 minutes.

Bongonda’s goal in the 66th minute exposed a rare loss of concentration from the visitors and changed the momentum. Al Nassr responded with a double alteration soon after, bringing on Gabriel and Sami Al-Najei as they looked to regain control.

Gabriel delivered almost immediately in the final phase, adding pace and direct running before finishing clinically for the third. Al-Najei then helped close down midfield spaces, while Saad Hussain Haqawi was also introduced in the 81st minute for defensive cover. Salem Al-Najdi entered in the 86th minute.

Joao Felix and Ronaldo were central to Al Nassr’s attacking edge, while Abdullah Al-Khaibari protected the back line until his 81st-minute substitution. Centre-backs Abdulelah Al-Amri and Inigo Martinez dealt strongly with aerial deliveries and long balls, with Martinez also driving play out from defence.

Nawaf Boushal offered work rate on the right but was occasionally exposed on counters. Awad Aman’s afternoon ended at half-time after an early yellow card in the 14th minute, with Ayman Yahya replacing him and bringing greater balance on the flank.

Samu Costa was booked in the 24th minute and departed in the 67th as Al Nassr sought more composure. The visitors shared 50 per cent possession but produced the stronger entries into dangerous areas, with the late Gabriel goal ensuring the comeback threat did not develop further.

The next task for Al Nassr is to turn this composed away performance into another result as the pressure intensifies at the summit.