Eight in a Row: Nassr Sweep Neom as Ronaldo and Felix Deliver the Knockout Punch

Match Recap

Al Nassr extended their winning run in this season's Roshn Saudi League to eight with a 3-1 victory over Neom at King Khalid Sports City, taking round eight in stride.

Brazilian midfielder Angelo opened the scoring in the 47th minute, and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the lead from a penalty in the 65th minute, moments after Neom’s Uruguayan forward Lucho Rodríguez was sent off.

Neom struck back through substitute Ahmed Abdu in the 84th minute, but Nassr’s other Portuguese star, Joao Félix, wrapped it up in the 86th minute to seal the win for the 𝙖𝙡–Nassr side.

With this result, Nassr confirm an eight-match winning streak, lifting their points tally to 24 and returning to the top of the table, three points clear of Al Taawoun in second place.

Neom’s defeat marks their third of the campaign, leaving them on 13 points and in seventh position as the season progresses.

Return and lineup

Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus brought defender Mohamed Simakan back into the starting XI after injury lay-offs, pairing him with Inigo Martínez in central defense and anchoring the back line with Nawaf Al‑Aqidi in goal.

Nawaf Boshl was shifted to left-back to cover for an absent Ayman Yahya, while Sultan Al-Ghannam moved to right-back as standard; the eight foreign stars remained in the usual safety net of midfield and attack with Marcelo Brozović alongside Angelo, and a forward line featuring Kingsley Coman, Joao Félix, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané.

The half-time whistle did little to dampen Nassr's early pressure, as they started with intent: a right-footed drive from Coman in the 5th minute narrowly missed the far post, and a Mane cross a few minutes later found Ronaldo but failed to test the Neom keeper.

Neom responded with brief forays, the best of which saw Abbas Al-Hassan go clean through, only to be denied by Nassr's goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi in the 19th minute.

In the 26th minute, Ronaldo headed a Brozović corner, but the effort went harmlessly into the arms of Louis Maximiano as Neom survived the first storm.

A series of chances for Nassr followed before halftime, notably a Ronaldo effort that grazed the post and a Félix chance blocked by a defender’s foot—both illustrating Nassr’s relentless pressure without adding to the scoreline before the break.

Second half surge

The second period began with Nassr breaking the deadlock when Ronaldo’s blocked shot rebounded into Angelo’s path, who finished with a smooth left-footed strike to make it 1-0.

Moments later, Neom were reduced to ten men when Rodríguez earned a second yellow after a VAR review for a premeditated hit on Boshl, leaving the visitors to chase the game.

Ronaldo had a late-eye for a second, but was denied by Maximiano in a one-on-one on the hour mark, the ball rebounding away after a save. A subsequent Nassr raid ended with a penalty after a VAR check, with Ronaldo converting confidently to double the lead in the 65th minute.

Shades of late drama

Jesús responded to the red card with changes, but Nassr doubled down, while Neom looked to respond with fresh legs including Sadi Benrahma and Ali Al-Omari, as the tactical chess continued with the hosts maintaining control.

In the 84th minute, Ahmed Abdu pounced on a defensive lapse to pull one back for Neom, briefly reigniting their hopes before Félix finished a swift counter in the 86th minute to seal the three points for Nassr.

Serious drama faded as Nassr preserved their lead in the closing minutes, with Mane and Ronaldo seeing late chances blocked or saved, before the final whistle confirmed a 3-1 victory for the home side.

Endgame

The result extends Nassr’s unbeaten run and cements their status at the top, while Neom must regroup quickly as they look to climb back up the table in the coming fixtures.

Punchline time: Nassr’s run is so long, the league’s calendar files for an extension just to keep up. Punchline two: Ronaldo took that penalty like a mic drop—suddenly the net had a standing ovation and my fantasy team just stood up, too.