Al Nassr's first defeat: Al Ittihad wins the super derby

The central clash of the 5th round of the Saudi Pro League turned into a true super derby that football fans around the world were waiting for. In a tense confrontation in Jeddah, Al Ittihad hosted the star-studded Al Nassr club and secured an important and difficult 2-1 victory. With a squad featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, João Félix, and Kingsley Coman, the Riyadh-based side was forced to accept their first defeat of the new season.

A 23-minute masterclass from George Ilenikhena: How was the game decided?

The match began with intense and aggressive pressure from the hosts:

• Cold shower in the 4th minute: Right from the start, host striker George Ilenikhena capitalized on a situation inside the opponent's penalty area to open the scoring (1-0);

• A brace in the 23rd minute: Skillfully exploiting errors in the Al Nassr defense, Ilenikhena scored his second goal, strengthening Al Ittihad's lead (2-0);

• Gabriel Angelo's response: In the 36th minute, young Brazilian Gabriel Angelo reduced the deficit for the visitors, bringing the intrigue back (2-1);

• Iron discipline in the second half: After bringing on Richard Ríos and Youssef En-Nesyri in the second half, the hosts defended with discipline and managed to hold the score until the final whistle.

Ronaldo's quiet night and the silencing of the star-studded attack

Cristiano Ronaldo led the attacking trio but failed to deliver the expected result:

• Ronaldo ineffective for the full 90 minutes: The Portuguese legend played from start to finish, but was kept under tight control by defenders Danilo Pereira and Hassan Kadesh, failing to record a single goal or assist;

• Pressure from Mané, Félix, and Coman was not enough: The other leaders of the attacking line also could not find a way to put a second goal past Al Ittihad goalkeeper Predrag Rajković;

• Al Nassr's unbeaten streak broken: The Riyadh side, which started the season on a high note, finished the 5th round without points for the first time.

League table: Jeddah side closes in on the leaders

This derby significantly changed the balance of power at the top of the championship:

• Al Nassr 2nd with 12 points: Having suffered their first defeat, the Riyadh team faces the risk of falling behind in the title race;

• Al Ittihad rises to 4th with 11 points: The hosts secured 3 valuable points, closing the gap to just 1 point behind their direct rival.

In your opinion, was Al Nassr's defeat caused by defensive errors or the failure of the star-studded attack led by Ronaldo? Can George Ilenikhena provide serious competition to Ronaldo in the Pro League golden boot race this season? Leave your thoughts in the comments!