Félix conjures a stunning turnaround as Al Nassr crush Al Diriyah to cruise into the King's Cup last 16
By Dr. Talal Othman
By the second minute, it already looked like one of those evenings custom-built to remind the big clubs that the King's Cup answers to no name. A low cross from the right, a calm finish from Oscar Rodríguez, and suddenly Al Nassr found themselves behind a scoreline nobody among the fans who had packed the stands, with a confidence built over recent seasons, had seen coming. But between that early jolt and the final whistle, the hosts delivered a lesson in turning disorder into control, and anxiety into celebration, closing out a 4-1 win that books their place in the last 16 without a shred of doubt.
What made the victory all the more striking was that it arrived despite Al Nassr being without several influential names, sidelined by injury or suspension Saad Al-Nasser, Mohammed Maran, Raghed Al-Najjar and Abdulrahman Ghareeb chief among them on top of a pre-agreed rest for Cristiano Ronaldo, granted by his new head coach, Ange Postecoglou. All those absences at once might have unsettled another side. Instead, they became the perfect opening for another star to leave his own mark on an evening not soon forgotten.
Simakan restores parity, then Félix takes charge
Al Nassr didn't take long to respond. Just nine minutes after the early shock, Mohammed Simakan found himself perfectly placed inside the box, guiding in a heeled finish that looked closer to artistry than instinct, off a pinpoint pass from João Félix. That touch felt like a statement of intent: Al Nassr weren't about to let an early slip curdle into a crisis.
From that moment, the entire rhythm of the match shifted. Al Nassr wrestled back control, and Félix one of this season's most eye-catching Saudi Pro League arrivals following his move from Chelsea began to impose himself all over the pitch. In the 36th minute he met an Angelo cross with a quick, first-time finish, before an even sweeter gift arrived less than a minute later: the ball cannoned off a rattled Al Diriyah defence straight to Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who didn't hesitate, rounding the keeper and slotting home with composure.
By half-time it was 3-1, though the numbers alone barely captured the true gulf between the two sides on the pitch. Al Nassr were no longer chasing the result they were dictating terms, with the calm assurance of a side that knows exactly what it has in reserve and when to unleash it.
Félix's second signature strike settles any debate
The second half held few surprises, but it did offer one more confirmation: this was João Félix's night through and through. In the 68th minute, following a clever pass from Nawaf Boushal, the Portuguese forward collected the ball inside the box and drove a low, powerful finish into the net his own second goal and Al Nassr's fourth, stamping his full authority on a match that began with a shock and ended in celebration.
Félix's performance read like a preview of exactly what Al Nassr fans will be hoping for from him this season: constant movement between the lines, the vision to unlock a defence with a final pass, and ice-cool composure in front of goal when the moment calls for it. Two goals and an assist in a single match is no passing detail it's a signal of a player who appears to have finally found his ideal environment, far from the pressures of the Premier League.
Beyond the scoreline
More telling than the 4-1 itself was how Al Nassr handled the crisis. A team that concedes in the second minute against a supposedly lesser side on paper can go one of two ways: panic, or take control. Postecoglou's players chose the latter unmistakably, an early sign of the new Australian coach's attacking philosophy relentless pressure forward rather than defensive caution, even in difficult moments.
The King's Cup, with its unforgiving knockout format, leaves little room for mistakes, which makes Al Nassr's response all the more significant. A team capable of covering for the absence of its biggest star, overturning a poor start, and closing out the match by a full three-goal margin sends a clear message to the rest of the title contenders: Al Nassr remain among the strongest candidates to lift the trophy this season, regardless of who takes the field in the starting XI.
Now, having reached the last 16, the club awaits the next-round draw carrying a convincing result and a standout performance from Félix one that could gradually turn into one of the team's most important weapons this season.
