In a much-anticipated Asian Champions League showdown, Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut appearance for Al Nassr, but it was a quiet night for the superstar as his team triumphed over Iranian club Persepolis with a 2-0 victory in Tehran.
The game took place within the confines of an empty Azadi Stadium, a consequence of Persepolis being penalized by the Asian Football Confederation. The penalty stemmed from an offensive social media post made by the club back in 2021, following a complaint by Indian club Goa. Unfortunately, this meant that Iranian fans were denied the opportunity to witness Ronaldo’s skills firsthand, along with other notable signings such as Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic. Surprisingly, both goals in the game came courtesy of Saudi Arabian players.
The scoring action kicked off on the hour-mark when Abdulrahman Ghareeb found the back of the net. Twelve minutes later, defender Mohammed Qassem added to Al Nassr’s lead with his first goal for the Riyadh club. Cristiano Ronaldo, the leading scorer in the Saudi Pro League, had an opportunity to make his mark in the game just 20 minutes in but, despite being unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box, he directed his header straight at the Persepolis goalkeeper.
Although the stadium atmosphere remained subdued due to the absence of fans, Ronaldo’s presence in Tehran generated considerable local excitement. On the eve of the match, hundreds of eager local fans swarmed Al Nassr’s hotel, chanting the 38-year-old Portugal star’s name. The excitement reached such a crescendo that Al Nassr, in search of their first Asian championship, was unable to conduct their pre-match training in peace.
This fixture marked the first visit of a Saudi Arabian team to Iran since 2015, following the restoration of diplomatic relations in June, facilitated by China’s diplomatic efforts. With this victory, Al Nassr surged to the top of Group E, surpassing Al-Duhail of Qatar and Tajikistan’s Istiklol, who settled for a goalless draw. It’s a challenging road ahead, as only the 10 group winners and the six best runners-up among the 40 participating teams will advance to the second round of the tournament.
In other Asian Champions League action, Japanese champion Yokohama F. Marinos faced a 4-2 defeat at home against South Korean team Incheon United. Meanwhile, South Korean champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i secured a 3-1 victory over BG Pathum of Thailand. Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale clinched a narrow 1-0 win against Malaysian powerhouse Johor Darul Tazim, while China’s Shandong Taishan notched a 3-1 victory against Kaya of the Philippines.
In a thrilling encounter on Monday, Al Hilal, led by star forward Neymar, were held to a 1-1 draw by Uzbekistani club Navbahor. Saudi Arabian champions Al Ittihad, despite missing star striker Karim Benzema, managed to secure a convincing 3-0 victory against AGMK of Uzbekistan.
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