Arab News | Al-Nassr humbled by 4-0 Champions League thrashing, while Summerville sees red for Al-Hilal

RIYADH: Things have started to unravel very quickly for head coach Ange Postecoglou at Al-Nassr. Just two weeks ago, the club were enjoying the perfect start to the season until a 2-1 defeat to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League a week and a half ago sparked a run that has now extended to just one win in four games in all competitions.

The latest of these was Tuesday’s encounter with Emirati side Al-Ain as Al-Nassr returned to the AFC Champions League Elite after a season in the competition’s second-tier League Two — and it was a game Postecoglou will want to forget.

The Australian took a gamble with his lineup after a 1-1 draw with Al-Khaleej in the league on Saturday exposed weaknesses in defensive transition. Mohammed Simakan, Abdulelah Al-Amri and Inigo Martinez lined up in a back three for the first time this season, while Sadio Mane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix led the attack.

Al-Ain had clearly studied their opponents carefully and were effective in preventing them from dominating possession in the way they had managed during the first few weeks of the season. And Al-Nassr, fatigued and lacking a creative spark, eventually crumbled under the pressure.

The last meeting of the sides in the competition, in November 2024, ended in a 5-1 victory for Al-Nassr as they avenged their elimination at the hands of Al-Ain the previous season at the quarter-final stage. This time, it was Al-Ain’s turn to exact revenge.

It began when left wing-back Saad Al-Nasser found himself surrounded by Al-Ain players on the touchline in the 25th minute and, failing to look in the direction of his pass, he delivered a perfect ball to the opposition’s Houssine Rahimi. The Moroccan pounced on the error and slid the ball under goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi to open the scoring.

In the 63rd minute, he completed his brace with a crisp finish after an assist from Kaku. Ten minutes later, Kaku set up Rahimi again — only this time, it was Soufiane Rahimi who got the goal, as both brothers got on the score sheet in their first Champions League appearance together. They celebrated together with tears of joy, in memory of their father who died last week.

Soufiane helped round off the rout when he teed up Giorgos Giakoumakis in the 85th minute for the fourth, inflicting on Al-Nassr their worst-ever defeat in the competition.

Later, Al-Hilal hosted Qatari side Al-Gharafa in what proved to be a tense encounter in Riyadh. After a calm first 30 minutes during which the hosts retained most of the possession, play was halted when Crysencio Summerville shoved Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi to the ground on the touchline as a scuffle broke out between the sides.

Summerville was immediately sent off, then Ismael Bennacer reacted by pulling Summerville’s hair, earning marching orders of his own. Despite both teams being reduced to 10 men, the game did not open up as expected.

It was Saimon Bouabre who finally unlocked it for Al-Hilal. Making his first start of the season, the French midfielder delivered a composed performance in possession, eventually winning a penalty after being tackled by Al-Rashidi in first-half stoppage time.

Ruben Neves — for whom fans raised a tifo in support after vile chants were directed at him on Saturday by Al-Taawoun fans, who were subsequently banned by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s Disciplinary and Ethics Committee from attending their team’s next two home games — stepped up to convert the penalty on the stroke of half-time to send Al-Hilal in ahead at the break.

Neves capped a stellar display with a floated cross toward the far post in the 72nd minute that Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed home, the ball deflecting off defender Seydou Sano on its way into the net.

Al-Gharafa pulled one back in stoppage time, as Alaa Hassan’s curling effort gave the visitors some slim hope of a comeback, but it was too little, too late.