Morocco international Youssef En-Nesyri scored twice within five minutes after coming off the bench as Al-Ittihad defeated Al-Ettifaq 4-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Tuesday, October 20.
The 29-year-old striker entered the match in the 73rd minute and found the net in the 80th and 85th minutes, helping Al-Ittihad secure an away victory at Al-Ettifaq’s stadium in Dammam.
His two goals took his Saudi Pro League tally to seven for the 2026–27 season.
En-Nesyri scores twice after coming off the bench
Al-Ittihad took the lead in the 16th minute through George Ilenikhena, who finished from inside the penalty area following a pass from Richard Ríos.
Al-Ettifaq equalized in the 34th minute when Sultan Haroun beat goalkeeper Predrag Rajković, leaving the teams level at halftime.
Houssem Aouar restored Al-Ittihad’s advantage eight minutes after the restart, converting Ilenikhena’s low cross.
En-Nesyri replaced Ilenikhena in the 73rd minute and needed just seven minutes to score.
The Moroccan forward turned in a low delivery from Muhannad Al-Shanqiti in the 80th minute to make it 3-1.
Five minutes later, he completed his brace with a header from Ahmed Al-Ghamdi’s cross, sealing Al-Ittihad’s fourth goal.
Al-Ittihad move into Saudi Pro League top four
The victory lifted Al-Ittihad to fourth place in the Saudi Pro League standings with 20 points after ten rounds.
Al-Ettifaq remained eighth with 15 points following their third league defeat of the season.
En-Nesyri’s performance also brought his league goals total to seven, surpassing the six he scored during the previous campaign.
The Moroccan striker has remained an important attacking option for the Atlas Lions. His international career includes a decisive header against Portugal in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, one of the goals documented in Morocco’s World Cup record.
A graduate of the Mohammed VI Football Academy, En-Nesyri is also among the Moroccan internationals playing outside Europe. Atlas Lions Insider’s Morocco player market value analysis by league includes the Al-Ittihad forward among the Saudi Pro League representatives in its September 25 snapshot.
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