Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr ousted from Asian Champions League after shootout loss to Al-Ain

Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, Al-Nassr, was eliminated from the Asian Champions League during the quarter-finals, after a thrilling match against Al-Ain ended in a penalty shootout defeat on Monday, March 11. Despite overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg to win 4-3 on the day, the aggregate score tied at 4-4, leading to a decisive penalty shootout where Al-Ain emerged victorious.

Al-Nassr’s international stars, including Miroslav Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Otavio, missed their penalty kicks, allowing the team from the United Arab Emirates to progress to the semi-finals. They will face either Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad, both Saudi teams, in the next round.

Al-Ain’s goalkeeper, Khalid Eisa, played a crucial role by saving Brozovic’s initial penalty. Successful conversions by Soufiane Rahimi, Kaku, and Sultan Al Shamsi for Al-Ain, coupled with Otavio’s miss, led to Al-Nassr’s departure from the tournament.

The match itself was a rollercoaster, featuring seven goals and a red card at Al-Awwal Park. Al-Ain extended their advantage from the first leg in the first half with two goals from Rahimi. However, Al-Nassr kept their hopes alive with a goal from Abdulrahman Ghareeb just before the halftime break.

In the second half, Al-Nassr fought back with goals from an own goal by Eisa and a free-kick by Telles. The game went into extra time after Ayman Yahya of Al-Nassr was sent off. Al-Ain briefly thought they had secured victory with Al-Shamsi’s goal, but Ronaldo’s penalty in the final minutes forced the shootout.

Ronaldo was the only Al-Nassr player to score in the penalty shootout, marking Al-Ain’s advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2016.

In the Eastern section of the draw, South Korean teams Jeonbuk Motors and Ulsan Hyundai are set to play after a 1-1 draw in their first meeting. Meanwhile, Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F Marinos will attempt to protect their 2-1 lead against Shandong Taishan from the Chinese Super League in the upcoming match.