AFC
Riyadh
Cristiano Ronaldo led Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr Club to their first win in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024-25 after they defeated Al Rayyan SC 2-1 at the King Saud University Stadium on Monday.
The match also marked Al Nassr head coach Stefano Pioli’s first taste of continental club football in Asia with a win, taking the Saudi Arabian club to four points with Al Rayyan still looking for their first.
Back in the team after having missed the opener against Iraq’s Al Shorta, Ronaldo was heavily involved in the opening period of the match, starting a move that led to Angelo Gabriel stabbing a shot wide before twice testing Al Rayyan keeper Paulo Vidotti, who came out on top on both occasions.
Mane was next to register an attempt in the 17th minute, smashing a shot wide after being fed by Ronaldo following a scramble inside Al Rayyan’s box.
Having survived the early onslaught, the visitors fashioned their first opportunity just before the half hour mark with Roger Guedes’ solo run ending up with a shot that forced a save from Bento Krepski.
Despite their dominance, Al Nassr had Bento to thank in the 41st minute after the Brazilian pulled off a great save, diving to his right to deny Achraf Bencharki who was on the follow-up after Trezeguet’s shot was blocked.
The breakthrough came for the home side a minute into first half added time when Sultan Al Ghannam delivered a perfect cross for Mane, arriving at the back post, to thump his header past Vidotti.
Al Nassr thought they had doubled their lead two minutes into the second half when Ronaldo latched onto Otavio’s pass from behind Al Rayyan’s defence to beat Vidotti but it was ruled out for offside.
The chances kept falling for Ronaldo - usually deadly in the air but for the second time in the game - a powerful header in the 69th minute from an Abdullah Al Khaibari cross from the left went slightly over the bar.
The introduction of Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Wesley Teixeira brought new dimension to Al Nassr’s attack and the duo combined in the 76th minute to set up Ronaldo for a curling left foot finish.
Guedes pulled a goal back for Al Rayyan in the 87th minute but it wasn’t enough to deny Al Nassr the win.
The Saudi Arabian side will next face Esteghlal FC on October 22 with Al Rayyan playing a day earlier against another Saudi opponent in Al Ahli
Saudi FC.
The AFC Champions League Elite draw has the clubs being divided into two groups of 12 teams in the East and West Zones.
The group stage will be held from September 16 to February 19, 2025, and each team will face eight different sides from its zone with four matches at home and as many away.
The best eight clubs will qualify for the Round of 16 and then the quarterfinals in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4, 2025.