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.

"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.