Al-Nassr Secures AFC Champions League Quarter-Final Spot with Victory Over Esteghlal
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jhon Duran propel Al-Nassr to a decisive 3-0 win, advancing them to the last eight of the tournament.
Al-Nassr advanced to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League with a commanding 3-0 victory over Esteghlal FC of Iran on Monday at their home ground in Riyadh.
This outcome came following a goalless draw in the first leg of the tie held in Tehran the previous week.
Jhon Duran, the Colombian forward who joined Al-Nassr from Aston Villa in January, initiated the scoring in the match with a remarkable lob from the right corner of the penalty area just nine minutes in.
His effort found the back of the net despite a hand from the Esteghlal goalkeeper.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not participate in the first leg, extended Al-Nassr's lead by converting a penalty kick in the 27th minute after teammate Sadio Mane was fouled in the box.
Ronaldo executed a Panenka-style penalty, marking his seventh goal in the tournament this season.
The situation deteriorated for Esteghlal when defender Mehran Ahmadi received a second yellow card on the brink of half-time, reducing the visitors to ten players.
As Ahmadi left the pitch, Ronaldo was observed offering a supportive gesture.
Following halftime, Al-Nassr maintained control of the match, with Duran striking the crossbar from outside the area five minutes after the restart.
He later netted his second goal of the night in the 85th minute, firing a low shot into the far corner from the right side of the penalty area.
This result marks a significant milestone for Al-Nassr, making them the first Saudi Arabian club to reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League in this iteration of the tournament.
The team is pursuing its first Asian championship title.
In other matches from the tournament, Al-Ahli is anticipated to join Al-Nassr in the quarter-finals after securing a 3-1 victory against Al-Rayyan of Qatar in the first leg.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal faces a challenging task, having lost 1-0 to Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in their match.
Additionally, Al-Sadd of Qatar triumphed over Al-Wasl from Dubai with a 3-1 victory, resulting in a 4-2 aggregate win.
This outcome came following a goalless draw in the first leg of the tie held in Tehran the previous week.
Jhon Duran, the Colombian forward who joined Al-Nassr from Aston Villa in January, initiated the scoring in the match with a remarkable lob from the right corner of the penalty area just nine minutes in.
His effort found the back of the net despite a hand from the Esteghlal goalkeeper.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who did not participate in the first leg, extended Al-Nassr's lead by converting a penalty kick in the 27th minute after teammate Sadio Mane was fouled in the box.
Ronaldo executed a Panenka-style penalty, marking his seventh goal in the tournament this season.
The situation deteriorated for Esteghlal when defender Mehran Ahmadi received a second yellow card on the brink of half-time, reducing the visitors to ten players.
As Ahmadi left the pitch, Ronaldo was observed offering a supportive gesture.
Following halftime, Al-Nassr maintained control of the match, with Duran striking the crossbar from outside the area five minutes after the restart.
He later netted his second goal of the night in the 85th minute, firing a low shot into the far corner from the right side of the penalty area.
This result marks a significant milestone for Al-Nassr, making them the first Saudi Arabian club to reach the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League in this iteration of the tournament.
The team is pursuing its first Asian championship title.
In other matches from the tournament, Al-Ahli is anticipated to join Al-Nassr in the quarter-finals after securing a 3-1 victory against Al-Rayyan of Qatar in the first leg.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal faces a challenging task, having lost 1-0 to Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan in their match.
Additionally, Al-Sadd of Qatar triumphed over Al-Wasl from Dubai with a 3-1 victory, resulting in a 4-2 aggregate win.
