RIYADH: Al-Nassr’s march toward their first Saudi Pro League title since 2019 continued on Thursday with a hard-fought 4-2 away victory over Al-Shabab.
Joao Felix was the hero of the game with a hat-trick, but Cristiano Ronaldo also had a big night as he reached the milestone of 100 goals in the Saudi Pro League.
It was a much-needed victory for Al-Nassr, who were left reeling by a 3-1 defeat by Al-Qadsiah on Sunday that reduced their lead over second-place Al-Hilal to just two points.
The night began with a Felix masterclass, as the Portuguese forward had two goals to his name inside the opening 10 minutes.
The first came in the third minute when a Sadio Mane cross was poorly dealt with by the defense, allowing Felix to take advantage and finish clinically past Marcelo Grohe.
Seven minutes later, a curling cross from Abdulrahman Ghareeb toward the far post found Felix and he headed home his second.
Ronaldo thought he had added to Al-Nassr’s tally moments later but his effort was ruled out for offside. Then, in the 16th minute, Ghareeb was sent through on goal only for Grohe to produce a strong save.
Soon after, the pressure from Al-Nassr began to ease as they sat deeper in an attempt to protect their lead. This would backfire somewhat, as it allowed Al-Shabab to grow into the match.
The first warning sign came when Hammam Al-Hammami gave Al-Nassr a scare as he hit the post in the 23rd minute.
Yannick Carrasco eventually managed to capitalize on the shifting momentum on the half-hour mark. Abdullah Al-Khaibari lost possession under pressure from the Belgian winger, who drove past Abdulelah Al-Amri before putting the ball past Bento to pull one back.
The pressure from the home side continued into second half, with Carrasco almost equalizing in the 50th minute with an acrobatic effort inside the box.
Ali Al-Azaizeh — who started the game in place of Abderrazak Hamdallah, suspended by his club for a heated row with teammate Carrasco during a 5-1 loss to Al-Taawoun on Sunday — also came close, with an effort that struck the post.
But despite the sustained pressure from their hosts, Al-Nassr managed not only to hold onto their lead but extend it in the 75th minute. Felix released Mane with a diagonal ball, and the Senegalese winger delivered a low cross for Ronaldo to convert and restore the lead to two.
Al-Shabab needed less than five minutes to respond, as on-loan Ali Al-Bulayhi gave what might could have been a big helping hand to his parent club, Al-Hilal, when he capitalized on an Al-Hammami flick-on to tap home past Bento and once again reduce the deficit to a single goal.
The night would ultimately belong to Al-Nassr, however, who held out and put the victory beyond doubt deep into injury time after Grohe collided with substitute Abdullah Al-Hamdan in the area. Following a review by the video assistant referee, the penalty was confirmed and Felix converted from the spot to complete his hat-trick.
All attention now turns to the Capital Derby between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal on May 12. With two games to play, Al-Nassr sit on 82 points, five clear of Al-Hilal who have a game in hand against Neom on May 16.
Tuesday’s derby could prove decisive in the title race. Victory for Al-Nassr will secure the championship. A win for Al-Hilal, meanwhile, would place their fate in their own hands, as victory in their remaining two games would guarantee top spot in the league.
