Ronaldo rocket, Felix hat-trick increase 5-star Al Nassr's lead at top | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo saw his penalty saved, then a minute later atoned only as Cristiano Ronadlo tends to do.

The Al Nassr captain’s cracker right on the hour put the hosts back into the lead against Al Fateh on Saturday night.

By the end of proceedings, Joao Felix had a second Roshn Saudi League hat-trick, fellow new signing Kingsley Coman another goal, and Al Nassr’s 100 per cent start at the top of the table motored on.

Heck, even IShowSpeed, the American streamer whose affection for Ronaldo is well-documented, go to set the drum beat for the team’s now-traditional victorious Viking clap, at the behest of his footballing hero below on the Al Awwal pitch.

All in a night’s work, then. The 5-1 triumph represented the perfect return to RSL action for league leaders Al Nassr following an international break in which a number of their stars shone – including, of course, Ronaldo.

However, against Al Fateh, it was Felix who took centre stage for the majority, the summer signing from English Premier League club Chelsea notching Al Nassr’s first, on 13 minutes, and concluding the clash with a second RSL match-ball.

With it – and check out Felix’s opening goal, wow – the Portuguese international increased his lead at the summit of the top-scorer charts to three, with eight in all for the season.

His closest challenger on that list? Only the man who assisted his hat-trick goal, owner of the past two RSL golden boot awards and a five-time Ballon d'Or who's steaming his way to 1,000 professional career goals.

And, evidently, someone who doesn’t let a thwarted penalty attempt set him back. On 59 minutes, Ronaldo’s spot-kick was saved well to his left by Al Fateh goalkeeper Amin Al Bukhari. Watching on the stands, IShowSpeed was crestfallen.

In the minute it took for the special attendee to compose himself, though, Ronaldo had flipped the script. Taking the ball on the right edge of the visitors’ penalty area, he moved inside and unleashed a sublime, curled shot just above Al Bukhari and high into the Al Fateh net.

Suddenly 2-1 up, Al Nassr cruised home.

Felix rounded off his treble, Coman got the fifth to increase to seven his RSL goal contributions since his summer transfer from Bayern Munich, and the in-form Sadio Mane added another two assists to his early season tally.

With five wins from five, Al Nassr are flying under new manager Jorge Jesus. With one more game-day to go in Matchweek 5, they are four points clear of Riyadh rivals Al Hilal, who hit five of their own on Saturday, away to Al Ettifaq, to jump into second.

With Ronaldo and Felix firing, it’s over to Al Qadsiah and NEOM Sports Club, who face one another in Tabuk on Sunday, to close the gap on the season’s standout side thus far. But, on this form, Al Nassr are definitely the team to catch.