Cristiano Ronaldo’s late heroics couldn’t rescue Al-Nassr from elimination in the AFC Champions League against Al-Ain, decided by penalties.
Despite having a home advantage and trailing 1-0 on aggregate, Al-Nassr faced an uphill battle. Soufiane Rahimi haunted them with two first-half goals, adding to his decisive strike in the first leg. Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s stoppage-time goal gave Al-Nassr hope before halftime.
The second half saw Otavio equalise, benefiting from Al-Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa’s errors. Cristiano Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity, but Al-Nassr managed to force extra time, with Alex Telles scoring to make it 3-2.
However, a red card for Ayman Ahmed turned the tide, and Al-Ain capitalised to score again. Ronaldo’s late penalty brought hope, but Al-Nassr fell short in the shootout, with Otavio missing a crucial spot-kick.
Despite Rahimi’s standout performance and Eisa’s errors, Al-Nassr couldn’t overturn the deficit. The goalkeeping errors proved costly, leaving Al-Nassr disappointed at being knocked out in the quarterfinals.
After this intense battle, Al-Nassr faces Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia in a Pro League fixture, with Ronaldo’s team currently trailing leaders Al-Hilal by 12 points in the standings.