LONDON: Ange Postecoglou announced his arrival in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday night in one of the most dramatic games you will see anywhere in 2026.
When the Australian substituted Cristiano Ronaldo at halftime with Al-Nassr two goals and one man down to Al-Ettifaq, it was not just the Portuguese megastar who was shaking his head.
Millions of fans around the world were doing the same and the instant online reaction was not positive toward the former Tottenham Hotspur boss.
Yet, at the end of a breathless 90-plus minutes, the champions had pulled off the most magnificent of comebacks to win 3-2, securing another victory and so much more.
Where to start? Perhaps the 12th minute red card to goalkeeper Bento that had the Yellows in all sorts of trouble. When Alvaro Medran scored a second for the hosts just before the break, it was surely game over. Postecoglou had other ideas, bringing on defensive midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari for Ronaldo.
The biggest star may have gone but there is plenty of other talent in the team and they stepped up. Joao Felix for one. With 16 minutes remaining, the Portuguese forward threaded a perfect pass through the green defence for Sadio Mane to finish. Then, three minutes later, Felix swung in a corner for Abdulelah Al-Amri to head home. It was all square.
Plenty of teams, plenty of coaches would settle for a point away with 10 men against solid opposition who had won both games in the season so far, but Al-Nassr and Postecoglou are different. In the 90th minute, Mane broke free once more and made no mistake.
Postecoglou wants to play his football on the front foot and in Dammam, the Aussie showed that he can walk the walk as well as talk the talk. It was a comeback for the ages. Taking off Ronaldo, probably the most famous person in the entire world — never mind at this fixture — at halftime in a big game is always going to generate headlines. Social media went into meltdown; it looked as if Postecoglou was going to have questions to answer.
He did, however, what was best for the team. On a hot night, and a man short, a 41-year-old, no matter how talented, famous and successful, may not be the right choice. Bringing on the underrated and energetic Al-Khaibari freed others to focus on what they do best. Felix was the player of the season last time and has carried on where he left off in this. Ronaldo is still the face of the team (and the league) but the former Chelsea star is now its beating and creative heart.
And then there is Mane. At 34, the Senegalese star does not get the same attention as some of the more famous names in the league but he is always there to deliver when the pressure is on. His two goals showed his coolness in front of goal and his composure.
In his last job, Postecoglou never got going at Nottingham Forest and lasted just a few weeks in the English Premier League. In Saudi Arabia, however, the former Celtic boss has hit the ground running. If fans were concerned after Jorge Jesus left in May after winning the title, they are now starting to think they have been given an upgrade. It is, of course, early days but three league wins out of three with 10 scored and two conceded is hugely encouraging. However, there is more to it than just numbers; it is about nights like this, which really produce confidence and togetherness.
It also shows the boss is in control and knows exactly what he wants. After Tuesday, there will be more trust in his methods from fans, players and media. Postecoglou likes to talk about always winning things in his second season. On the evidence so far, he may have to revise that.
Maybe fans of Tottenham and Celtic will be looking a little longingly in his direction, with both of those teams trying to recover from truly dreadful results early in their respective seasons. Spurs started with a 3-0 loss at Brentford and the Glasgow giants let a four-goal advantage in their UEFA Champions League qualifier slip against LASK of Austria to lose 5-4.
These are no longer Postecoglou’s concerns as he has the league title, and soon the Asian Champions League, in his sights. After what will become a famous night in Dammam, many are starting to believe anything is possible.
