Al-Ahli head coach Matthias Jaissle enjoyed watching his side’s dramatic late comeback to beat Nasaf 4-2 as they made a winning start to their AFC Champions League elite title defence.

Things were looking bleak for Al-Ahli after a poor first-half showing, with Husain Norchaev scoring twice in the 34th and 41st minutes to give Nasaf a 2-0 lead at the break.

However, the Saudi Pro League side fought back after the break, with Enzo Millot scoring a three-minute brace to draw Al-Ahli level by the 68th minute.

It looked like they might fall short of a comeback, but Riyad Mahrez cut inside the box to fire a low shot past Abduvohid Ne’matov in the 94th minute to give Al-Ahli the lead.

Alibek Davronov was then sent off for a last-man foul on Ivan Toney in the 103rd minute, with Mohammed Sulaiman making sure of the three points two minutes later with a close-range finish.

Al-Ahli have won an AFC Champions League Elite match when trailing at half-time at home for the first time since April 2015, and it was a vital three points for Jaissle’s side.

“It was a difficult match. We weren’t fully present in the first half and conceded twice, but we knew we had to show our character in the second half,” Jaissle said.

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“It was fantastic to see the team play with one spirit alongside our fans, and I truly enjoyed watching my players score goal after goal with such passion.

“It was important for us to be on the winning side today, and I must emphasise how proud I am of the team after their comeback and the incredible four goals they scored.”

Al-Ahli have now won their last eight matches in the Champions League Elite, their longest winning streak in the competition (since at least 2013-14).

However, while they started on a high, Al-Ittihad lost their opener 2-1 against Al Wadha.

Steven Bergwijn had put Laurent Blanc’s side ahead in the first half, but Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti was then sent off before the break, and Caio Canedo pulled the hosts level before Lucas Pimenta sealed the win in the 98th minute.