Cristiano Ronaldo secured an easy win for Al-Nassr against Al-Faiha with a late goal, sealing their spot in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League.
In Short
Match details
Right from the start at Al-Awwal Stadium, it was a one-sided traffic as Al-Nassr dominated. Marcelo Brozovic orchestrated deep midfield plays, pulling the strings. They didn’t have to wait long to break the deadlock, as Otavio delivered a inch-perfect cross to Al-Khaibari in the 17th minute.
Ronaldo had some time to establish himself, but as soon as he warmed up, he was well-positioned to take advantage of the onslaught. After two Al-Faiha players were brought down inside the box, he was gearing up for a penalty, but was denied before reaching the highest point of the wooden spot in the penalty area.
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Otavio Scored for Al Nasar in second leg
— Awais Mushtaq (@Awaismushtaq012) February 21, 2024
Vamos
Aggregate is 2_0
Al Nasar vs Al Feiha #AlNassrDay #AlNassr #AlNassrAlFayha #CristianoRonaldo #Ronaldo pic.twitter.com/9nwvEhXUgI
After the break, Al-Nassr surged forward in search of their second of the night, and Ronaldo found the net, but was flagged offside after a fraction of a second from his run was deemed mistimed.
However, just four minutes from full time, prolific forward finally put his name on the scoresheet, ending the tie. Goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic’s half-hearted clearances hurried forward and fell nicely for Ronaldo, who easily slotted the ball into an empty net, sealing a 3-0 win over their domestic rivals in both legs.
MVP for Al-Nassr
The late goal by Ronaldo was the icing on the cake, who had come close on a few occasions earlier in the night. After emerging as the man of the match in the first leg with an 81st-minute winner, the 39-year-old once again proved to be a handful for Al-Faiha defenders throughout the full 90 minutes. Despite denials from the frame of the goal and offside flags, he kept questioning and was eventually rewarded for his persistence late into the night.
Current Mood 😍⬇️ pic.twitter.com/et60eMbwg2
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) February 21, 2024
Biggest Loser
Al-Faiha goalkeeper Stojkovic rightly deserves blame after being ousted from the continental competition by his team. He could have performed better with his feet to save Otavio’s header and was again indecisive in clearances, which handed Al-Nassr the second chance of the night. A forgettable performance from the Serbian shot-stopper.
What Comes Next?
As Al-Nassr prepares to meet Al-Shabab in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday, they will now concentrate on their domestic obligations. They’re trailing behind leaders Al-Hilal by seven points in the title race and cannot afford to risk falling further behind.
