Al Nassr qualified for the 2025 Saudi Super Cup final with a 2-1 win over Al Ittihad at Hong Kong Stadium yesterday, overcoming a first-half red card to Sadio Mane thanks to João Félix’s second‑half winner, assisted by an unselfish Cristiano Ronaldo.
The opening goal came within the game’s first 10 minutes, when Al Nassr’s Marcelo Brozović crossed the ball to Mane, whose volley skimmed the gloves of Al Ittihad goalkeeper Hamed Al-Shanqiti before crossing the line. Al Ittihad came back six minutes later, with Moussa Diaby cutting the ball back from the left for Steven Bergwijn to sweep a low finish past Al Nassr’s mononymous goalkeeper, Bento.
Midway through the first half, Mane was sent off for a reckless stamp on Al-Shanqiti, leaving Al Nassr down to 10 men after just 25 minutes. Earlier, Al Nassr also survived a scare when Bento passed straight to Karim Benzema on the edge of the box, only for the Frenchman to drag his shot wide.
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Despite the disadvantage, head coach Jorge Jesus’s side regrouped after the break and looked more composed. On the hour mark, Ronaldo passed the defensive line and was initially flagged offside, but match officials overturned the call. Facing the goal, the Portuguese captain passed to João Félix, who tapped the ball into an empty net and restored Al Nassr’s lead.
Al Ittihad pushed, but Al Nassr defended well in the closing stages to book a place in the final. This will mark Al Nassr’s sixth Saudi Super Cup final appearance. The team lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2020, and finished runners-up in 2014, 2015 and 2024. The result also brings Ronaldo a step closer to his first title with the club.
Al Nassr will face the winner of tonight’s semi-final between Al Qadisiyah and Al Ahli Saudi in the 2025 Saudi Super Cup final, taking place on Saturday.
