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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr qualified for the Asian Champions League group stage after his side secured an injury-time victory against Shabab Al Ahli in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The Saudi Pro League side came from behind to triumph 4-2 in the play-off at Mrsool Park, with Brazilian forward Anderson Talisca scoring twice and Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic rounding off the win. Nassr had been two minutes from exiting the tournament.
In what was a nail-biting clash, the Saudi Arabian club ensured their place in the group phase of the Asian football’s most prestigious club competition, starting next month.
Despite being the runners-up in their domestic league the previous season, the Riyadh-based club showed resilience on the field. Adding to the match's appeal was the highly anticipated debut of Ronaldo in the Champions League, having already won five UEFA Champions League trophies. The
The match kicked off with high energy as Nassr drew first blood. At 11 minutes in, Taslica took advantage of a perfectly executed corner from Brozovic to guide the ball into the net with a solid header. However, the lead was short-lived. UAE champions Shabab Al Ahli struck back with vengeance. Their winger, Yahya Al Ghassani, found the perfect opportunity during a counter-attack, deftly placing the ball past the Nassr defenders, bringing the score level.
The drama unfolded further just a minute into the second half. Al Ghassani once again showcased his talent, brilliantly chipping the ball over Nassr's goalkeeper, Nawaf Al Aqidi, giving Shabab Al Ahli the lead.
However, Nassr wasn't to be subdued for long. As the clock ticked down, a glimmer of hope emerged. In the dying minutes of regular play, a determined header from full-back Sultan Al Ghannam took an unfortunate deflection off Walid Abbas, resulting in an own goal.
Nassr's determination bore fruit in injury time. With just five minutes into the allotted seven of added time, Talisca found the net from close quarters. Ensuring the victory, Ronaldo then set up Brozovic who confidently fired his shot into the goal.
Meanwhile, this adds Al Nassr into pot 4 of the West Zone, alongside former Indian Super League (ISL) league shield winners of the 2022-23 season.
This also means that the 2016 UEFA Euros winner might travel to India to participate in the AFC Champions League if Al Nassr are grouped with Mumbai City FC! The two-time shield winners are set to play in the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, where Mumbai City FC will set up shop for their three home games in the Group Stage of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League.
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