Al-Ahli halted Al-Nassr’s perfect Saudi Pro League start with a 3-2 home victory, led by Ivan Toney’s two goals and an assist. Toney struck twice inside 20 minutes, Abdulelah Al Amri replied with a brace,
and Merih Demiral’s second-half header finally settled a tense contest.
The result damaged Al-Nassr’s early grip on top spot in the Saudi Pro League, while also underlining Toney’s growing influence for Al-Ahli. The English forward now has a prolific scoring record in the competition and again delivered in a high-pressure meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.
Toney opened the scoring after seven minutes, arriving in the six-yard box to convert Galeno’s low cross. The forward soon added a second, timing a run behind the defence to collect Ali Majrashi’s long pass before calmly finishing past goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi to give Al-Ahli control.
Al-Nassr then benefited from a major error by Al-Ahli goalkeeper Adbulrahman Al Sanbi. Al Amri tried a hopeful long-range effort that Al Sanbi mishandled into the net. Before half-time, Al Amri rose highest from Marcelo Brozovic’s corner and headed in, completing an unlikely comeback to level the score at 2-2.
The decisive moment arrived in the 55th minute from a set piece. Toney swung in a free-kick towards the far post, directing the ball back across goal for Demiral, who escaped his marker and nodded past a defender on the line to restore Al-Ahli’s lead at 3-2.
Al-Nassr pushed for another equaliser but wasted clear chances. Cristiano Ronaldo failed to capitalise on a promising opening when stumbling as a pass reached the area. Joao Felix later saw a goal-bound shot deflected around the post, while Al-Ahli dropped deeper to preserve the narrow advantage.
Stoppage time brought further drama as tempers rose. Al-Ahli captain Majrashi received a red card after striking Joao Felix in the face, leaving the hosts a player down. The numbers soon balanced again when Nawaf Bu Washl was dismissed for a last-man foul, easing pressure on the home defence.
It's what he does #AlAhli #RoshnSaudiLeague pic.twitter.com/iesi0C99tFAl-Ahli Saudi Club (@ALAHLI_FCEN) January 2, 2026
The underlying numbers highlighted Al-Ahli’s attacking edge in this Saudi Pro League clash. The hosts created 3.37 expected goals from 15 shots, compared with Al-Nassr’s 0.87 from 19 attempts, showing Al-Ahli produced fewer but far higher quality chances across the 90 minutes.
| Team | Shots | Expected goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli | 15 | 3.37 |
| Al-Nassr | 19 | 0.87 |
Toney’s brace in this match took the forward to 31 goals in 31 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Ahli. Toney became the fifth player to reach 30 or more league goals for the club and is the third quickest to that mark, behind Omar Al Somah on 31 matches and Victor Simoes on 36.
