Al-Nassr, featuring superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo, has been eliminated from the AFC Champions League following a dramatic 3-2 home loss to Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale. The Japanese side took control early and maintained their advantage throughout the match.
Kawasaki Frontale opened the scoring just 10 minutes into the contest courtesy of Tatsuya Ito. Although Sadio Mané quickly equalized for Al-Nassr eight minutes later, the visitors from the J. League refused to concede momentum. Kawasaki regained the lead in the 41st minute and further extended their advantage, building a significant lead.
Al-Nassr fought back in the second half, with Ayman Yahya finding the net in the 87th minute to reduce the deficit. Despite launching a total of 21 shots, with six directed on target, the Saudi club was unable to score the crucial goal required to force extra time.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a late chance to potentially draw his team level. After managing to get past the goalkeeper, his attempt was thwarted at the last moment by a Kawasaki defender who cleared the ball, denying Al-Nassr a dramatic equalizer and securing the victory for the Japanese visitors.
Following the final whistle and their exit from the competition, Ronaldo was seen expressing frustration, shrugging and shaking his head as another opportunity for silverware passed by his team.
While Al-Nassr did claim the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, marking Ronaldo`s first team trophy with the club, their campaigns in both the Saudi Pro League and the AFC Champions League have presented significant challenges, even with Ronaldo`s strong scoring record.
Domestically, Al-Nassr currently sits third in the Saudi Pro League standings, trailing leaders Al-Ittihad by eight points with only five matches remaining in the season. Overcoming this gap requires them to win all their remaining fixtures and hope for results to go in their favour. Despite Ronaldo leading the league`s scoring charts with 23 goals, his individual brilliance hasn`t been enough to propel the team to the top spot in the league standings.
