Al-Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, bid farewell to the AFC Champions League after a thrilling encounter against Al Ain, culminating in a 4-4 aggregate draw and an unfortunate defeat in the penalty shootout. Despite an electrifying match where fortunes swayed, Ronaldo’s missed opportunity in the crucial second half may haunt him. Nonetheless, the veteran forward expressed gratitude for the fans’ support, promising a resilient comeback. Al Ain’s initial lead was challenged by Al-Nassr just before halftime, setting the stage for an intense battle ultimately decided by penalties.
Early in the second half, Al Ain’s goalkeeper Khalid Eisa suffered another mishap as Otávio’s driven cross ricocheted off his legs, resulting in an own goal and narrowing the aggregate score to 3-2. Cristiano Ronaldo had a golden opportunity to equalize, but astonishingly missed from close range after Eisa’s save redirected the ball to him.
Despite Ronaldo’s miss, Al-Nassr managed to find the net again later in the half when Alex Telles’ free-kick pierced through a crowded defense, eluding Eisa’s attempts to keep it out.
As the match extended into extra time, Al-Nassr faced a setback with Ayman Yahya being shown a red card for a reckless tackle. Shortly after, Sultan Al-Shamsi increased Al Ain’s aggregate lead to 4-3, tapping in the rebound after Raghed Al-Najjar’s save rebounded off the crossbar into his path.
Ronaldo attempted to rally his team with two consecutive shots saved by Eisa, but he later earned and converted a penalty after being brought down in the box, leveling the aggregate score at 4-4.
The exhilarating match reached its climax with a tense penalty shootout, where Cristiano Ronaldo successfully converted his spot-kick for Al-Nassr. However, disappointingly, Otávio, Telles, and Marcelo Brozović failed to find the net, with Brozović’s attempt thwarted by Eisa’s save. This allowed Al Ain to secure a remarkable triumph.
Al Ain, aiming for their first AFC Champions League title in over two decades, will now advance to the semifinals, where they are set to face another Saudi Arabian team, either Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad.
