Asian Champions League 2024: Ronaldo Shines but Al-Nassr Faces Heartbreak in the Quarter Final
Al-Nassr’s journey in the Asian Champions League quarterfinals took a dramatic turn as Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his prowess on the field.
Despite Ronaldo‘s goal-scoring brilliance, Al-Nassr faced disappointment as they were ousted from the tournament after a penalty shootout defeat against Al-Ain.
Al-Nassr defeated Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates 4-3 in Riyadh to avenge their 1-0 first-leg loss. However, it lost 3-1 in the penalty shootout.
The 39-year-old Ronaldo did miss a number of opportunities throughout regulation, and in the second half, with Al-Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa on the ground, he missed the target from just two meters away, shaking his head in shock. The lone goal scorer from the first game, Soufiane Rahimi, was far more efficient on Monday. The former champion Al-Ain led 3-0 after the Moroccan scored twice in the first half.
But Al-Nassr’s Abdulrahman Ghareeb pulled one back just before the half, and Eisa’s own goal shortly after made it 2-2 overall.
Alex Telles, a former Manchester United defender, scored for Al-Nassr with eighteen minutes left in regulation time to send the match into overtime.
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Sultan Al Shamsi gave Al-Ain their lead back, but Ronaldo’s penalty kick with 118 seconds remaining tied the score at 4–4 overall. Ronaldo scored during the shootout but Marcelo Brozovic, Telles, and Otavio were unable to do so.
In the last four, Al-Ain will encounter further competition from Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, the second leg of the quarterfinal match between two-time champion Al-Ittihad and four-time champion Al-Hilal will begin with a 2-0 lead.
Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will meet on Tuesday in the eastern zone. After the first leg, the South Korean teams are tied at one. The Japanese team Yokohama F. Marinios leads Shandong Taishan of China 2-1 in the other quarter.
