Ronaldo Steers Al Nassr to Victory in AFC Champions League
It’s been a week of drama in the AFC Champions League, and Cristiano Ronaldo was right at the center of it all. The Portuguese superstar scored the winning goal as Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia defeated Al Rayyan of Qatar 2-1 in the Elite group stage on Monday.
Ronaldo, who missed Al Nassr’s opening 1-1 draw against Al-Shorta of Iraq two weeks ago due to a viral infection, made his presence felt in the second half. His shot into the top corner with 14 minutes remaining proved to be the decisive moment in the game.
Sadio Mané, the former Liverpool forward, had given Al Nassr the lead just before the break with a well-taken header. Ronaldo added a second, but Al Rayyan pulled one back through Roger Guedes in the 87th minute. Al Nassr held on to secure the win, keeping their hopes of winning their first Asian title alive.
In other matches, Riyad Mahrez scored his first goal of the season as Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia won 2-0 at Al-Wasl of the United Arab Emirates. Mahrez, who joined Al Ahli from Manchester City in 2023, had been struggling for fitness, but he made a big impact in this game. He opened the scoring after just three minutes, and then set up defender Roger Ibañez for the second goal.
The 24 teams in the competition are divided into two groups of 12, with the top eight from each group progressing to the round of 16. The competition is heating up, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store next.
Follow us on all social media platforms for more updates