Cristiano Ronaldo returned but Al-Nassr was at a disadvantage after the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarterfinals at Al Ain Stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo missed an unfortunate opportunity, putting Al-Nassr at a disadvantage. Photo: Al-Nassr FC
In the early morning of March 5 (Vietnam time), Al-Nassrd club played against Al Ain of the UAE in the first leg of the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League quarter-finals.
The match marked the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Nassr’s starting lineup after a 1-match suspension in the Saudi Pro League last weekend.
Despite being a guest, the Saudi Arabia representative had a good position, with 54% of ball control. However, the opportunities created are not many.
After more than 20 minutes, Al-Nassr had its first notable shot, when Ayman Yahya stole the ball and shot from close to the penalty area but missed the post.
1 minute later, the home team responded with Soufiane Rahimi’s connecting kick after a pass from the right wing, but goalkeeper David Ospina was alert.
However, in the 44th minute, the former Arsenal goalkeeper had to go into the net to pick up the ball. Still Rahimi escaped, received a smart pass from his teammate, passed Ospina and scored the opening goal.
At the other end of the field, Ronaldo responded with an angled shot but not dangerous enough to defeat goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.
After the break, Al-Nassr attacked continuously while the home team defended, waiting for a counterattack.
There were 2 other clear opportunities for Ronaldo in the second half, but once he missed, once at a distance of only 7 meters, but the cushion in an empty position was not dangerous enough to defeat Eisa.
Unable to find an equalizer, Al-Nassr lost a man in the 94th minute, when the referee reviewed the VAR and determined that midfielder Aymeric Laporte had coldly beaten the opponent’s defender while being marked.
Losing 0-1, Al-Nassr and Ronaldo still have the return match at home on March 12 to try to go upstream.