Al Nassr sit top of the Saudi Pro League after three games, but the manner of Tuesday's 3-2 win at Al-Ettifaq tells a complicated story about where Ange Postecoglou's side currently stand. Reduced to ten men inside the opening quarter-hour when goalkeeper Bento received a straight red card, the defending champions found themselves 2-0 down at half-time with teenager Abdulrahman Al-Otaibi deputying between the posts. What followed was a stunning second-half turnaround, with Sadio Mane scoring twice and Abdulilah Al-Amri adding a third to complete a comeback that few sides could pull off in such circumstances. The result keeps Al Nassr two points clear of Al Ittihad at the top of the table.

The drama did not end there. Cristiano Ronaldo, captaining the side in his first league start of the season, was substituted at half-time. Coach Postecoglou explained the decision was forced by the circumstances of the match, though reports suggest Ronaldo's physical condition also played a part. The Portuguese forward is understood to need 23 more goals to reach 1,000 career strikes, a milestone that adds weight to any fitness concern around him.

Off the pitch, a reported debt of 800 million Saudi riyals continues to cast a shadow over the club, with speculation linking Mane to a move to Al Ittihad as a result of financial pressures. Al Nassr host Al-Taawoun on Friday, and with their next serious test a trip to Al Ittihad in September, maintaining momentum while managing these pressures will define the weeks ahead.