Cristiano Ronaldo‘s Al-Nassr were eliminated from the Asian Champions League quarter-finals following a tense 3-1 penalty shootout defeat against Al-Ain in a thrilling encounter on Monday.
Despite Al-Nassr’s 4-3 victory in the second leg, overturning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, the match concluded 4-4 on aggregate, leading to a dramatic penalty shootout in which Al-Ain emerged victorious.
Unfortunately, Al-Nassr’s key foreign players Miroslav Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Otavio all faltered from the penalty spot, allowing Al-Ain to progress to the semi-finals, where they will face either Al-Hilal or Al-Ittihad next month.
The shootout’s turning point came with Al-Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa’s crucial save from Brozovic’s initial penalty attempt, followed by successful conversions from Soufiane Rahimi, Kaku, and Sultan Al Shamsi, sealing Al-Nassr’s fate.
This thrilling match, characterized by seven goals and a red card, saw Al-Ain extending their first-leg advantage during the opening half. Ayman Yahya’s expulsion for a reckless tackle early in extra time further complicated matters for Al-Nassr.
Despite Al-Shamsi’s apparent late winner, Ronaldo’s late penalty, earned after being fouled in the box, forced the game into a shootout, where Ronaldo was the sole successful penalty taker for Al-Nassr.
In the eastern bracket, Jeonbuk Motors and Ulsan Hyundai are set to clash after a 1-1 draw, while Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F Marinos aim to defend a 2-1 lead against Shandong Taishan on Wednesday.
