Al Nassr's unbeaten start to the Saudi Pro League season came to an end on Saturday when they fell 2-1 to Al Ittihad at King Abdullah Sports City, handing the reigning champions their first league loss of the 2026-27 campaign. The defeat leaves them second in the table with 12 points from five games, three behind leaders Al Hilal, who have won all five of their matches so far.

The loss itself was damaging enough, but the fallout has compounded the pressure on the club. Manager Ange Postecoglou pushed back against suggestions his players were responsible for wasting chances, while his counterpart at Al Ittihad, Jens Scheuer, publicly questioned the Australian's pre-match comments about Al Nassr's superiority. Adding further noise, fabricated quotes attributed to Postecoglou circulated on social media after the defeat, with reports suggesting they were designed to cast doubt on Saudi football's integrity. The club denied the statements were genuine.

Joao Felix also sparked controversy with comments made as he left the stadium, though reports indicate he is unlikely to face disciplinary action, with precedents involving Cristiano Ronaldo cited as supporting that outcome.

Al Nassr now turn their attention to Wednesday's home fixture against Abha at Al-Awwal Park, a match they will be expected to win as they look to steady themselves and keep pace with Al Hilal at the top of the table.