Saudi Super Cup: Sadio Mané sees red against Al-Ittihad
Saudi Super Cup: Sadio Mané sees red against Al-Ittihad
Sadio Mané was shown a red card on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, during the Saudi Super Cup semi-final between Al Nassr and Al-Ittihad in Hong Kong. The Senegal international had opened the scoring for his team before being sent off just before halftime.
Al Nassr faced Al-Ittihad in this first semi-final of the 2025 Saudi Super Cup, hosted in Hong Kong from August 19 to 23. This clash between two Saudi football giants delivered plenty of drama, featuring a showdown between Sadio Mané and Cristiano Ronaldo against Karim Benzema, although the latter did not start the match.
Sadio Mané opens the scoring and kick-starts his season
The former Liverpool winger wasted no time putting his side in front in the opening minutes. Set up by Marcelo Brozović, Sadio Mané netted the match's first goal in the 10th minute.
In the 25th minute, the Al Nassr forward tried to win back possession in the opponent's half, but his challenge was seen as a dangerous studs-up tackle on an Al-Ittihad defender. The referee wasted no time in reaching for the red card, despite protests from Mané's teammates. This sending-off disrupted the team's balance, who were level with their opponents after Steven Bergwijn's equalizer (16th minute).
Down to ten men, the Yellows stood firm under pressure.
João Félix restored Al Nassr's lead in the second half (61st minute), capitalizing on some fine work from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Riyadh club held their ground until the final whistle, despite relentless pressure from Al-Ittihad. This victory sends Al Nassr through to the final, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final between Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli.
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