Cristiano Ronaldo crossed his one hurdle and moved a step closer to lifting his maiden trophy with Al-Nassr after the Saudi side overcame Al-Ittihad to book a place in the Saudi Super Cup final.
The battle had all the ingredients of a dramatic cup tie — early mistakes, goals at both ends, a controversial red card, and a moment of selflessness from the Portuguese icon that proved decisive.
The match began at a frantic pace, and Al-Ittihad nearly capitalised on a shocking error. Goalkeeper Bento, under no real pressure, inexplicably played the ball straight to Karim Benzema on the edge of the box. With the goal gaping, the Frenchman dragged his effort wide, much to the relief of the Al-Nassr defence.
Al-Nassr quickly responded by seizing control at the other end. Marcelo Brozovic whipped in a dangerous cross that picked out Sadio Mane inside the penalty area. The Senegal international took a touch, turned neatly, and fired goalward. Goalkeeper HamedAl-Shanqiti managed to get a hand to the shot but could not keep it out, giving Mane the opener.
However, the joy was short-lived. Just six minutes later, Steven Bergwijn restored parity for Al-Ittihad. A clever move down the left flank saw the ball squared into his path, and the Dutch winger kept his composure to send a crisp low strike beyond Bento, making it 1-1.
The contest then took a dramatic turn. With just 25 minutes played, Mane’s evening descended into disaster. In a reckless moment, the forward clashed with Al-Shanqiti and was shown a straight red card for stamping on the goalkeeper. Reduced to 10 men, Al-Nassr’s hopes of progressing looked bleak.
But if there is one thing Ronaldo has built his career on, it is delivering in the big moments. On the hour mark, the 39-year-old surged clear of the defence after timing his run to perfection. Instead of taking the chance himself, he unselfishly squared the ball across goal to João Felix, who had the simplest of tasks to slot into an empty net.
Felix thought he had doubled his tally moments later, rifling in a finish that would have sealed the victory. Yet the celebrations were cut short when the referee spotted a foul by Ronaldo on Fabinho in the build-up. Despite the disappointment, Al-Nassr remained solid at the back and saw out the remaining minutes with relative comfort.
The result underlined both the resilience and growing confidence within Jorge Jesus’s team. Having been forced to play the majority of the match with a numerical disadvantage, Al-Nassr could easily have crumbled under the pressure. Instead, they showed composure and unity, qualities that will give them belief heading into the final.
For Felix, the performance marked another encouraging step in what has been a promising start to life in Saudi Arabia. The Portuguese forward has endured difficult seasons in Europe but looked lively, decisive, and eager to make his mark. His partnership with Ronaldo, glimpsed in flashes here, could prove vital as the club continues its push for silverware.
As for Ronaldo, the night reinforced his ability to influence games beyond scoring goals. His decision to pass instead of shoot highlighted a team-first mentality, a trait that could prove pivotal in his pursuit of a first title with Al-Nassr.
Pic Credit (Screebgrab: YouTube نادي النصر السعودي – AlNassr FC)
