Joao Felix Hat-Trick Drives Al-Nassr Closer To Saudi Pro League Title

Joao Felix struck a hat-trick and Cristiano Ronaldo scored as Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 4-2, strengthening the push for the Saudi Pro League title. The result moved Al-Nassr five points ahead of Al-Hilal, though Al-Shabab twice reduced the deficit and forced a tense finish in added time.

The match opened at high speed. Al-Nassr went in front after three minutes when Sadio Mane’s cross from the left caused confusion in the Al-Shabab penalty area. The loose ball dropped kindly and Joao Felix smashed a rising volley into the top-left corner, giving Bento no chance.

Al-Nassr quickly tightened their grip. Seven minutes after the first goal, Abdulrahman Ghareeb sent in a deep cross from the right. Joao Felix climbed above the defence at the far post, guiding a precise header from a narrow angle into the net to complete a rapid personal brace.

Al-Shabab needed a response and were handed an opening on 30 minutes. Abdullah Al Khaibari stumbled in possession near midfield and lost the ball, then tried to halt Yannick Carrasco by tugging the shirt. Carrasco broke clear regardless, drove into the penalty area and finished calmly past Bento.

Carrasco almost levelled before half-time, glancing a header onto the crossbar with Bento beaten. After the restart, Al-Shabab continued to threaten. Ali Al Azaizeh came close when a low effort from distance beat Bento but struck the base of the right post, keeping Al-Nassr’s narrow lead intact.

Al-Nassr restored a two-goal cushion on 75 minutes. A low ball into the area reached Cristiano Ronaldo, who met it with a first-time strike that flew into the net. However, Al-Shabab replied five minutes later when Ali Al Bulayhi escaped attention and prodded in Hammam Al Hammami’s cushioned header.

Deep into stoppage time, Al-Shabab pushed for an equaliser and forced a crucial incident. Goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe attempted to punch a high ball clear but caught Abdullah Al Hamddan instead. The referee awarded a penalty in the 94th minute, and Joao Felix confidently sent the spot-kick home to seal the hat-trick.

Saudi Pro League: Al-Nassr vs Al-Shabab data debrief

Although Joao Felix took the spotlight with three goals, Ronaldo also extended an individual record against Al-Shabab. Ronaldo has now scored against all 17 opponents faced in the Saudi Pro League this season, making Ronaldo the first player to net against every team in a single league campaign.

Ronaldo’s scoring history in this fixture is also notable. No player has more league goals in meetings between Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab than Ronaldo, who has seven. Across all competitions against Al-Shabab, Ronaldo has eight goals and one assist in nine games, underlining consistent impact for Al-Nassr.

The result keeps Al-Nassr in a strong position in the Saudi Pro League title race, with a five-point gap over Al-Hilal. Joao Felix’s hat-trick, Ronaldo’s milestone strike and Al-Shabab’s determined challenge combined to produce a high-scoring contest with key implications near the top of the table.