On the eventful evening of Monday, March 11, 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr experienced a heart-wrenching exit from the AFC Champions League following a nail-biting encounter against Al Ain that culminated in a 4-4 aggregate draw, ultimately decided by a penalty shootout in favor of the Emirati side.
The thrilling game in Riyadh, following Al Ain’s 1-0 lead from the first leg, Al-Nassr displayed a spirited performance, particularly in the first half. Soufiane Rahimi, the visiting team’s standout performer from the previous week, proved instrumental once again by netting two goals, establishing a lead that momentarily swung the tie in their favor.
Nevertheless, Al-Nassr managed to pull one back just before halftime. Al Ain’s goalkeeper, Khalid Eisa, found himself stranded outside the box, creating an opportunity for Sadio Mané to set up Abdulrahman Ghareeb for a straightforward finish. The momentum shifted further in Al-Nassr’s favor at the beginning of the second half when Eisa’s misfortune continued, deflecting Otávio’s drilled cross into his own net, bringing the aggregate score to 3-2.
In a critical moment that could have altered the course of the match, Cristiano Ronaldo squandered a golden opportunity to level the tie, inexplicably missing the target from close range after Eisa’s initial save. Despite this setback, Al-Nassr found the net again later in the half when Alex Telles’ free-kick penetrated through a crowded box, eluding Eisa’s attempts to keep it out.
As the game progressed to extra time, Al-Nassr faced adversity when Ayman Yahya received a red card for a reckless challenge. Shortly thereafter, Sultan Al-Shamsi extended Al Ain’s aggregate lead to 4-3, capitalizing on Raghed Al-Najjar’s save that opportunistically rebounded off the crossbar into his path.
With the aggregate score deadlocked at 4-4, the tie ventured into a nerve-wracking penalty shootout. Despite Al-Nassr’s commendable performance throughout the game, they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat in the penalty shootout against Al Ain. Despite Ronaldo finding the back of the net for Al-Nassr, Otávio, Telles, and Marcelo Brozović all failed to convert their penalties, with Eisa making a crucial save against Brozović’s effort.
The defeat signaled the end of Al-Nassr’s journey in the AFC Champions League, leaving them to reflect on what could have been. In the aftermath of the match, the 39-year-old Ronaldo expressed gratitude to the fans for their support on X, (Twitter), promising to bounce back stronger. The disappointment of the loss, coupled with Ronaldo’s missed opportunity, added a layer of regret to an otherwise exhilarating contest.
Al Ain, fueled by the desire to secure their first AFC Champions League title in 21 years, will now face either Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad, both formidable Saudi Arabian opponents, in the upcoming semifinals. As Al Ain advances, the anticipation for their quest to reclaim continental glory continues to grow.
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