João Félix scored a hat trick and Cristiano Ronaldo added a goal as Al Nassr beat Al Shabab 4-2 on Thursday to extend their Saudi Pro League lead to five points over rivals Al Hilal.
Félix had Al Nassr two goals ahead inside of 10 minutes with a pair of rapid-fire goals, but Yannick Carrasco scored later in the first half to cut the visitors’ deficit to 2-1 at the break.
Ronaldo scored to restore Al Nassr’s lead, but Ali Al-Bulayhi‘s goal for Al Shabab made for a nervous finish to the game until Félix scored his third from the penalty spot to put the game away.
The result puts Al Nassr on 82 points from 32 games, five ahead of second-place Al Hilal, who still have a game in hand.
The two teams meet on May 12 in a game that could ultimately decide if Ronaldo is able to win a first trophy since joining Al Nassr in January of 2023. Al Nassr and Ronaldo can also win silverware on May 16 in the Asian Champions League Two final against Gamba Osaka.
With his goal Thursday, Ronaldo now has 971 in his career for club and country, including the 26 he has scored for Al Nassr this season.
Information from ESPN Global Research was used in this report.
