The match had everything – seven scored penalties, a cool comeback, an own goal, a sending off, Cristiano’s penalty goal, a series of penalty kicks
The match with an incredible plot took place in the 1/4 finals AFC Champions League. Saudi Al Nasrlosing by two goals, managed to win over Al Ainom from the UAE, then saved himself in overtime (4:3), but lost in the penalty shootout – 1:3.
The Emirati club, coached by the current coach of the Ukrainian national team Sergei Rebrov until the summer of 2023, defended the minimal victory previously achieved at home. The guests did this very successfully – Sufyan Rahimi scored a double by the end of the first half.
The favorite of the duel managed to win one goal back before the break, with Sadio Mane assisting. In the opening of the second half, the score became equal thanks to an own goal. In these 45, the hosts completely dominated, but managed to score only once more – the ball was scored by Alex Telles.
In overtime, Al-Nasr was first left short-handed after Ayman Yahya was sent off, and then conceded for the third time. Two minutes before the end of extra time, Cristiano Ronaldo finally had his say, converting the penalty.
The match progressed into the post-match penalty kick series. There, the guests scored without a miss, while only the Portuguese striker scored against the hosts. At the same time, Telles, Marcelo Brozovic and Otaviu did not convert their shots.
Thus, the famous former Argentine forward Hernan Crespo in the coaching duel turned out to be stronger than Shakhtar’s ex-mentor Luis Castro. In the semi-finals, Al Ain will compete with another Saudi club – the winner of the Al-Hilal – Al-Ittihad duel.
- AFC Champions League. 1/4 finals. Return match
Al Nasr (Saudi Arabia) – Al Ain (UAE) — 4:3 (1:2, 2:0, 1:1), on penalties 1:3
Goals: Gharib, 45+5, Eisa, 51, own goal, Telles, 72, Ronaldo, 118, penalty – Rahimi, 28, 45, Al-Shamsi, 105
Removal: Yahya (AN), 98 – straight red
First match – 0:1
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
