Felixh hits debut hattrick as Ronaldo’s Al Nassr beat Al Taawoun 5-0

WEB DESK: Al Nassr sent out an early statement of intent in the Saudi Pro League as debutant Joao Felix lit up the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium with a hattrick in a commanding 5-0 victory over Al Taawoun on Friday night.

The Riyadh giants, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, wasted little time in asserting their dominance. Just seven minutes in, Felix opened his account with a calm low finish after a sweeping move involving Angelo down the flank. Despite a spirited response from Al Taawoun, the visitors controlled possession and went into the break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

The second half, however, turned into an exhibition. Al Nassr struck three times in a frenetic 14-minute spell. First, Ronaldo doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 54th minute, calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to register his first goal of the new campaign. Barely a minute later, Kingsley Coman punished slack defending with an audacious looping header to make it 3-0.

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Then it was Felix’s turn again. Teed up by Sadio Mane on the edge of the box, the Portuguese forward unleashed a thunderous strike into the top corner in the 67th minute, sparking wild celebrations from the away bench. His third came in the dying minutes when Ronaldo’s deflected shot bounced off the bar and fell kindly for him to scramble home. Goal-line technology confirmed the ball had crossed the line, sealing his dream debut with a hattrick.

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Al Nassr’s front four of Ronaldo, Felix, Coman, and Mane dazzled throughout, their fluid interplay too much for Al Taawoun to handle. New coach Jorge Jesus, making his Saudi Pro League bow, could not have asked for a better introduction as his side combined flair with ruthlessness.

Al Taawoun’s only real threat came when Angelo clipped the crossbar in the second half, but goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi ensured a clean sheet with a sharp late save.

For Al Nassr, the night belonged to Felix, whose arrival already looks transformative. But with Ronaldo scoring and Coman impressing on his debut, the message to title rivals was unmistakable: Al Nassr mean business this season.

T20I tri-series: Pakistan to face host UAE today

They return to action after the international break against Al Kholood on September 14.