Al Nassr has qualify for the Asian Champions League after late drama
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr qualified for the Asian Champions League group stage after they secured an injury-time victory against Shabab Al Ahli in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Al Nassr has qualify for the Asian Champions League after late drama
The Saudi Pro League team came from behind to win the play-off 4-2 at Mrsool Park, with Brazilian Anderson Talisca scoring twice and Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic completing the scoring. Nassr was two minutes away from being eliminated from the competition.
Nassr, who finished second in the domestic league last season, will now compete in the group round, which begins next month. Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the UEFA Champions League, was making his debut in Asia’s top club competition after joining the Riyadh club in December.
Taslica headed home a Brozovic corner to give Nassr the lead after 11 minutes. Seven minutes later, Yahya Al Ghassani equalized for UAE champions Shabab Al Ahli, putting the ball into the Nassr net as the Dubai side countered.
Ronaldo, 38, appeared to be furious as he exited the field at halftime and was spotted shouting with the referee. The Nassr captain, the Portuguese star, believes he should have got two penalties in the first half.
Then, one minute after halftime, Al Ghassani burst through the Nassr defence, flicking the ball over Nawaf Al Aqidi and putting Shabab Al Ahli ahead.
However, Nassr equalised with two minutes of normal time remaining, when full-back Sultan Al Ghannam’s header was diverted into his own goal by Walid Abbas.
Nassr’s comeback was complete five minutes into the allotted seven minutes of injury time, with Talisca nodding home from close range. Moments later, as Shabab Al Ahli chased the equaliser, Ronaldo teed up Brozovic to drill his shot into the net and make safe the game.
In the west zone, Sharjah of the UAE qualified for the tournament main with a 3-1 victory over Tractor FC of Iran, while Navbahor Namangan of Uzbekistan upset Al Wakrah of Qatar 1-0 after extra time.
