Jeddah, 03 January (H.S.): England striker Ivan Toney's clinical brace propelled Al-Ahli Saudi to a thrilling 3-2 upset over star-studded Al-Nassr at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Friday night, inflicting the Riyadh giants' first Saudi Pro League 2025-26 defeat and gifting table-toppers Al-Hilal a golden opportunity to extend their lead if they triumph over Damac on January 4.

Al-Ahli, despite clinging to fourth, slashed their deficit to third-placed Al-Tawoun to three points with the hard-fought victory on Friday evening.Al-Ahli exploited Al-Nassr's high defensive line from kickoff: ex-Brighton forward João Pedro Galeno's first-minute strike cannoned off the crossbar, signalling intent.

Toney opened the scoring in the seventh minute, latching onto Galeno's square pass to rifle home. He doubled the lead in the 20th, sprinting from his own half to deftly round goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi before unleashing a thunderous finish, silencing the partisan crowd.

Al-Nassr halved the deficit in the 30th through sheer fortune: Abdulllah Al-Amri's tame effort squirmed between Al-Ahli custodian Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi's legs. Moments before halftime, Al-Amri levelled from Marcelo Brozović's corner with a ferocious header, capitalising on slack marking.

Toney nearly restored parity pre-interval, his shot smacking the base of the post as teams traded blows.The second half swung decisively Al-Ahli's way in spectacular fashion: Toney acrobatically back-heeled Mathias Gonçalves' free-kick, teeing up Merih Demiral for a six-yard header that sealed the winner.

Al-Nassr dominated possession thereafter yet spurned clear sights, their profligacy punished. Late tempers flared—Al-Ahli's Ali Majrashi dismissed for slapping João Félix, Al-Nassr's Nawaf Boushal red-carded for denying a clear goalscoring chance as last man.

Cristiano Ronaldo endured a muted night, his lone first-half header sailing wide across 90 minutes—a stark contrast to Toney's match-defining brilliance.

Al-Nassr's invincibility shattered, Al-Hilal eye supremacy while Al-Ahli ascend the table with renewed momentum.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar