Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty and a brace from Jhon Duran helped Al Nassr cruise into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, securing a 3-0 victory over Esteghlal in the second leg at Al Awwal Park.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Ronaldo, the Al Nassr captain, was notably rested for the first leg, which ended in a goalless draw in Iran. However, the Portuguese forward returned to lead the side in Riyadh and made an immediate impact, scoring from the penalty spot in the first half. Al Nassr, who were one of the dominant sides in the western region’s group stage, needed just nine minutes to take the lead. Duran, a winter signing from Premier League club Aston Villa, capitalized on a loose ball near the Esteghlal penalty area and lifted a brilliant chip over goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini to give Al Nassr the lead.
The Colombian striker’s goal marked his first in the competition, and Al Nassr’s dominance continued when Sadio Mane earned a penalty after being fouled by Esteghlal’s Zobeir Niknafs in the 27th minute. Ronaldo stepped up once again and confidently slotted the ball into the centre of the net, taking his tally to seven goals in the tournament in just six appearances.
Ronaldo, who is also the top scorer in this season’s Saudi Pro League with 18 goals, played a pivotal role in Al Nassr’s offensive success. Esteghlal’s night took a turn for the worse just before the halftime whistle when Mehran Ahmadi was shown a red card after VAR upgraded his initial yellow card. Ahmadi had inadvertently struck Al Nassr’s Mohammed Al Fatil with a stray arm while attempting to shield the ball, leaving Esteghlal to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Al Nassr came close to extending their lead early in the second half. Duran had an effort saved, and Ayman Yahya’s rebound was cleared off the line. Just moments later, Duran saw his shot from distance smash off the crossbar. However, Duran would not be denied his second goal. The forward calmly converted after being set up by former Chelsea winger Angelo, firing a low shot inside the near post to seal the win.
In Monday’s other match, two-time Asian champions Al Sadd secured a 4-2 aggregate victory over UAE champions Al Wasl to advance to the last eight. Al Wasl had taken the lead early through Fabio Lima, but Al Sadd responded with three quick-fire goals in the first half from Mostafa Meshaal, Youcef Atal, and Akram Afif, the reigning Asian Player of the Year.
Al Nassr now look ahead to the quarter-finals, with Ronaldo and Duran’s performances providing a solid foundation for their pursuit of the AFC Champions League title.
