French-Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena scored twice as Al Ittihad handed Al Nassr their first Saudi Pro League defeat of the 2026-27 season.
Al Ittihad secured a 2-1 victory over Al Nassr at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Saturday, September 5, 2026, handing the visitors their first Saudi Pro League defeat of the 2026-27 season.
The hosts made an early breakthrough in the fourth minute when Steven Bergwijn's firm shot off a right-flank cross hit the crossbar, allowing French-Nigerian striker George Ilenikhena to convert the rebound. Ilenikhena doubled Al Ittihad's lead in the 22nd minute by redirecting a cross from Houssem Aouar into the net. Angelo Gabriel reduced the deficit for Al Nassr in the 36th minute, but solid defending and key saves from Al Ittihad goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic preserved the lead through the second half.
Ilenikhena, who was on the bench in Al Ittihad's previous two matches against Al Hazem and Al Fateh, was selected to start ahead of Youssef En-Nesyri. Al Nassr's defence struggled with crosses throughout the match, with Nawaf Boushal being the only defender actively attacking deliveries into the box to support goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi.
The defeat marked the third consecutive match in which Ange Postecoglou's Al Nassr conceded the opening goal. While they previously staged comebacks against Al Ettifaq and Al Taawoun, they were unable to recover on Saturday. Star forward Cristiano Ronaldo had two shots during the match, both off target.
Al Ittihad faced a setback just before half-time when midfielder Mukhtar Ali suffered a thigh injury following a challenge on Angelo Gabriel. Manager Jens Wissing replaced him with Richard Rios, who recently arrived on loan from Benfica.
Reporting sourced from Khel Now. Photo courtesy Khel Now.