Buraidah, August 30(HS): Joao Felix made a spectacular debut for Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, scoring a brilliant hat-trick to power his team to a commanding 5-0 victory over Al Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League opener at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Buraidah on Friday.

Under the guidance of new manager Jorge Jesus, Al Nassr deployed a revamped attacking line featuring Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, and newly signed stars Felix and Kingsley Coman. Right from the start, the debutants stamped their authority on the game.

Felix opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a beautiful left-footed strike after being set up by Angelo, showcasing his composure and technique. Shortly after, Ronaldo doubled the lead with a clinical penalty following a handball by Waleed Al-Ahmed. Within a minute, Coman extended the lead with a powerful header, making it 3-0.

Felix continued his stellar performance by scoring a magnificent long-range goal and then completed his hat-trick late in the match when a fortunate deflection saw the ball cross the line despite his shot appearing weak.

This emphatic win thrust Al Nassr to the top of the league table, sending a strong message that they are serious contenders for the title this season.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar