RIYADH: A Joao Felix hat-trick on Saturday saw Al-Nassr extend their lead at the top of the Saudi Pro League after a comprehensive 5-1 win over Al-Fateh at Al-Awwal Park.
The Riyadh club now have a maximum 15 points after five rounds of the SPL season, four more than second-place Al-Hilal, who earlier in the day beat Al-Ettifaq 5-0 in Dammam.
Going into the weekend’s fixtures, Al-Nassr held a three-point lead over reigning champions Al-Ittihad, who could only manage a 1-1 draw at Al-Fayha on Friday.
Portuguese playmaker Felix opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the 13th minute with what turned out to be the only goal of the first half. The leaders were rocked when Algerian forward Sofiane Bendebka equalized for Al-Fateh in the 54th minute, but the setback proved to be just a temporary one for Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo restored Al-Nassr’s lead on the hour mark with a sensational long-range strike, one minute after seeing his penalty saved by the visitors’ goalkeeper Amin Al-Bukhari.
