Joao Felix Stars on Debut as 10-Man Al Nassr Edge Al Ittihad into Saudi Super Cup Final
Joao Felix made a dream start to life in Saudi Arabia, scoring the decisive goal on debut as **10-man Al Nassr** battled past reigning champions Al Ittihad 2-1 in Tuesday’s Saudi Super Cup semi-final in Hong Kong.
The Portuguese forward, one of Jorge Jesus’ marquee summer signings alongside Iñigo Martínez and Kingsley Coman, struck just after the hour mark to send Al Nassr into Saturday’s final. The victory was made even sweeter given the early setback of **Sadio Mané’s 23rd-minute red card**, just minutes after he had opened the scoring.
Al Nassr were under pressure from the off, as Karim Benzema almost capitalized on a wayward pass from keeper Bento inside five minutes. The miss proved costly, with Marcelo Brozović teeing up Mané to volley home the opener on 11 minutes — Al Ittihad keeper Hamed Al Shanqiti unable to keep it out.
Parity was restored quickly. Full-back Mario Mitaj split the defense with a clever pass to Moussa Diaby, who unselfishly squared for Steven Bergwijn to finish into an empty net.
Coman went close for Al Nassr before Mané’s reckless lunge on Al Shanqiti saw his yellow card upgraded to a straight red after VAR review. Reduced to 10 men, Al Nassr leaned on Cristiano Ronaldo, who forced Al Shanqiti into a smart stop after a fine Coman assist.
FELIX GIVES AL NASSR THE LEAD! CRISTIANO RONALDO WITH THE ASSIST! pic.twitter.com/BYN6y6sxIp
— Fairgoals (@Fairgoalslive) August 19, 2025
The breakthrough came in the 62nd minute. Ronaldo burst through and squared for Felix, who coolly slotted home. Initially flagged offside, VAR confirmed the goal, sparking wild celebrations. Felix later rattled the post and had another strike ruled out, while Bento kept Al Nassr’s lead intact with a crucial late save from Saleh Al Shehri.
In the end, Jorge Jesus’ new-look side showed grit and quality to see off their bitter rivals, booking a spot in Saturday’s final against either **Al Qadsiah or Al Ahli**.
A statement win, a dream debut for Felix, and a reminder that Al Nassr remains the team to beat.
