Al Nassr’s pursuit of the Roshn Saudi League crown gathered fresh momentum on Friday as Joao Felix once again played a central role, even without finding the net.
Al Nassr’s pursuit of the Roshn Saudi League crown gathered fresh momentum on Friday as Joao Felix once again played a central role, even without finding the net.
Felix collected his sixth Man of the Match award of the 2025-26 season in the 3-0 success over Al Kholood, a personal milestone that underlined his influence across the campaign.
Yet individual acclaim was secondary to the collective outcome. The victory marked a fourth league win in a row, lifting Al Nassr back into second place after Matchweek 19.
More importantly, the gap to leaders Al Hilal was reduced to three points, keeping the title race firmly alive.
Despite extending his run without a goal to seven matches, Felix remained decisive. The former Chelsea player supplied assists for Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener and Mohamed Simakan’s strike before Kingsley Coman completed the scoring from the penalty spot.
Felix praised the group effort after a match that remained goalless at the break. He highlighted Al Nassr’s control, chance creation, and defensive stability before the breakthrough arrived in the second half.
While acknowledging that the margin could have been greater, the Portuguese forward stressed satisfaction with the performance and the result, pointing to consistency as the key objective.
For Felix, personal statistics are not the priority. He spoke of fluctuating periods in front of goal but made clear that success is measured by victories and, ultimately, silverware.
His message was unambiguous: the overriding ambition is to finish the season as champions, regardless of who provides the decisive moments.
Al Nassr’s campaign began flawlessly, with nine wins from their first nine league fixtures placing them clear at the summit.
That advantage disappeared during a difficult spell that followed, as four matches without a win allowed Al Hilal to close in. Three defeats, including the Capital Derby, proved especially damaging.
Felix acknowledged that downturns are part of any season, insisting they are experienced by all sides at some point.
He expressed confidence that the team has already moved beyond that phase and hopes there will be no repeat before the campaign concludes.
Should another challenge arise, Felix believes resilience will be the determining factor, with the ultimate aim of celebrating success when the season draws to a close.
