João Félix’s hat trick and Cristiano Ronaldo’s milestone strike powered Al Nassr FC closer to the Saudi league title.
Cristiano Ronaldo achieved another historic milestone, while João Félix starred with a sensational hat trick as Al Nassr FC secured a 4-2 win over Al Shabab FC on Thursday night to edge closer to the Saudi Pro League title.
Ahead of kickoff, Ronaldo also shared a heartwarming moment with a young mascot, teaching him his iconic “calma” celebration in a wholesome exchange.
The victory moved Al Nassr FC five points clear at the top of the table, although Al Hilal SFC still have three games remaining compared to Nassr’s two. That sets up Tuesday’s Riyadh Derby on May 12 as a potentially title-defining encounter.
João Félix stole the spotlight with a brilliant hat trick, but it was also a landmark night for Cristiano Ronaldo, who officially reached 100 Saudi Pro League goals. The Portuguese icon has now scored 971 official career goals, leaving him just 29 shy of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.
Al Nassr FC made a blistering start and took the lead just three minutes into the match. A poor clearance by Al Shabab FC from Sadio Mané’s cross fell perfectly for João Félix, who smashed a stunning volley into the top corner.
Just seven minutes later, the Portuguese forward grabbed his second goal of the night. Abdulrahman Ghareeb whipped in an inviting cross towards the far post, and Félix expertly steered a header home from a tight angle.
Al Shabab FC responded in the 30th minute after Abdullah Al Khaibari lost possession in midfield. Yannick Carrasco drove forward and calmly slotted past Bento Matheus Krepski to reduce the deficit.
The visitors came close to equalising before halftime when Carrasco’s glancing header rattled the crossbar. Early in the second half, Ali Al Azaizeh also struck the post with a low effort as Al Nassr FC struggled to regain control of the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo then delivered the moment the home supporters had been waiting for. In the 75th minute, he connected with Sadio Mané’s cross with a first-time finish to make it 3-1 and seal his 100th Saudi Pro League goal.
Al Shabab FC refused to give up and quickly reduced the deficit once more through Ali Al Bulayhi, who was left completely unmarked inside the penalty area.
Any hopes of a comeback were ended deep into stoppage time when Marcelo Grohe was penalised for catching Abdullah Al Hamddan while attempting to punch the ball clear. João Félix stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to complete his hat trick.
The title race is now coming into sharper focus. If Al Nassr FC avoid defeat against Al Hilal SFC in Tuesday’s Riyadh Derby and then beat Damac FC in their final match, they will be crowned champions.
However, Al Hilal still control their own destiny. Three wins from their remaining fixtures—including a victory over Al Nassr—would be enough to clinch the title themselves. In essence, the Riyadh Derby has become the decisive showdown of the season.
