Al Nassr, a club from Saudi Arabia show the best performance after beating Al Ain, a club from UAE scoring 5-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 League Stage(West Zone) at KSU Stadium, Riyadh.
The action started quickly, as Talisca wasted no time in scoring just five minutes in, seizing on space at the edge of the box to drill a low shot past Al Ain’s goalkeeper Khalid Eisa. Al Nassr nearly doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Otavio set up Cristiano Ronaldo on a counter-attack, but the Portuguese star’s shot narrowly missed the left post.
Despite lacking offensive spark, Al Ain managed a half-chance in the 14th minute as Soufiane Rahimi connected with Kodjo Laba, but the forward’s weak shot posed no real threat for Al Nassr’s keeper, Bento. Al Nassr, however, continued their attack with relentless pressure. Eisa made a heroic save in the 24th minute against Angelo, then had to thwart Sadio Mane in the 31st minute. However, Ronaldo capitalized on the rebound to smash in Al Nassr’s second goal.
Al Ain’s defense crumbled further in the 38th minute, when a quick exchange between Mane and Angelo opened up space for the latter to strike. His shot deflected off defender Cardoso, looping over Eisa and extending Al Nassr’s lead to 3-0 by halftime.
After the break, Al Ain seemed more energized and found a glimmer of hope in the 56th minute when Park Yong-woo’s long-range shot hit the post, deflecting off Bento’s back and into the net for a fortunate goal. Al Nassr, however, were undeterred, and Eisa was forced into another fine save to deny Talisca in the 65th minute.
Substitute Wesley made it 4-1 in the 81st minute, curling Angelo’s assist past Eisa, and Talisca wrapped up the scoring in stoppage time with a solo effort, sealing Al Nassr’s emphatic victory.
The Saudi giants capitalized on their home advantage, leaving last season’s AFC Champions League champions Al Ain stunned and struggling for form, with only one point in three rounds so far.
Next up, Al Nassr will face Qatar’s Al Gharafa in Al Khor, while Al Ain will take on Al Ahli Saudi FC as they seek redemption in the league.
Credit Photo : AFC
