Catch up with all the team news from Al Khaleej vs Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League
Al Nassr produced a ruthless second-half performance to dismantle Al Khaleej, with Joao Felix the standout figure on a night where Cristiano Ronaldo was not missed.
The opening half gave little indication of what was to come. Al Khaleej were competitive and organised in the early exchanges, with Giorgos Masouras testing Bento inside the opening three minutes.
Joao Felix and Kingsley Coman both went close for the visitors, with Moris producing a string of saves to keep the hosts level, but Al Nassr’s pressure eventually told on 31 minutes when Abdullah Al-Hamdan found space in the centre of the box and drove a right-footed effort past the Al Khaleej goalkeeper to break the deadlock.
Felix takes control
Al Nassr emerged for the second half with a different intensity entirely. Ayman Yahya doubled the lead on 54 minutes, arriving in the box to slot home, and from that point the contest was effectively over.
Joao Felix then turned on the style. The former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea forward tapped home his first on 73 minutes, finishing from close range after Al-Hamdan’s headed pass picked him out.
Six minutes later he had his second, converting from a corner routine after Angelo’s clever lay-off, to put Al Nassr four goals to the good with ten minutes remaining.
There was still time for a fifth. Angelo, who had been involved throughout, capped a fine personal display by cutting in from the right and slotting into the corner in stoppage time to complete the rout.
Moris had kept Al Khaleej in the game for long spells, making a series of fine saves particularly in the first half, but there was ultimately no stopping an Al Nassr side who were clinical whenever it mattered.
The win strengthens Al Nassr’s position at the top of the Saudi Pro League table, and will provide a huge relief for Ronaldo, who fled the country due to political issues.
