Duran double decides Jeddah clash for Al Nassr | OneFootball

Al Nassr’s latest signing Jhon Duran produced a second brace in as many Roshn Saudi League matches to lead the ten-men from Riyadh to an exhilarating 3-2 victory over rivals Al Ahli on the first day of matchweek 20.

Al Ahli got off to a flying start and the vast majority of the 50,144 fans present at the newly renamed Alinma Stadium thought their team had taken the league inside six minutes when Riyad Mahrez snuck behind Al Nassr’s defence to control Roger Ibanez’s long ball and fire past goalkeeper Bento into the back of the net, only to be denied by the raised offside flag.

At the other end of the pitch, there was no denying Duran as the Colombian picked up a short pass from winger Ayman Yahya, who had been brought on minutes earlier to replace the injured Otavio. The former Aston Villa man took the ball on the turn and aimed for the bottom corner to put the visitors in the lead at the half-hour mark.

Added time of the first half saw plenty of action inside Al Nassr’s penalty box. Gabri Veiga’s low delivery from the right took a deflection of a defender before it was helped by an improvised Ali Majrashi finish past the goal line. The referee initially gave the goal, but in the ensuing VAR review, the goal was overruled for a foul on Ivan Toney in the build-up while Al Nassr centre-back Mohamed Simakan received a direct red card for an elbow on Toney.

The hosts equalised in the 78th minute when Veiga delivered a pinpoint cross from the left flank that was met by a towering header from Toney. The former Brentford striker beat Bento for his tenth goal of the season, becoming the sixth player to reach double figures in the RSL this season.

Parity lasted merely a minute before substitute Ali Al Hassan found space down the right and crossed for Yahya whose first shot was parried by Edouard Mendy, but the ball fell back for the winger who buried it home at the second time of asking to put Al Nassr back in the driver's seat.

As the clock closed in on the 88-minute mark, Marcelo Brozovic fed Duran just before the halfway line. What followed was a moment of Magic as the 21-year-old embarked on a fine 40-yard solo run, beating two defenders and making his way into the Al Ahli box before keeping his composure to finish at the near post for his fourth goal in just two RSL matches.

With ten minutes of time added, Al Ahli pushed on and were able to half the deficit seven minutes in when substitute Sumayhan Al Nabit pounced on a rebound shot to sweep home from close range to make it 3-2, but it would prove too little to late for Mathias Jaissle’s men.

Duran’s masterclass seals a fifth consecutive win for coach Stefano Pioli’s men who have now opened a six-point gap to Al Ahli and moved temporarily within three points of second-place Al Hilal who take on neighbours Al Riyadh on Friday evening.