In a thrilling encounter on Wednesday, Al-Nassr is first football team clinched a spot in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League for the fourth time under the tournament’s modern format. Their journey continued with a convincing victory over fellow Saudi team Al-Fayha, sealing their advancement with a resounding 2-0 win in the second leg of the round of 16.
The match saw Portuguese midfielder Otávio Monteiro shine as he opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a well-placed header, courtesy of a pinpoint long pass from teammate Abdullah Al-Khaibari. This early breakthrough set the tone for Al-Nassr’s dominance throughout the game.
As the clock ticked into injury time, the stage was set for the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr’s attacking linchpin and captain, to seal the deal. Ronaldo capitalized on a goalkeeper error, coolly slotting the ball past the stranded keeper to double the lead and secure the victory.
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With an aggregate scoreline of “3-0” in their favor, following their earlier win in the first leg, Al-Nassr now sets their sights on the quarterfinal clash against Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates. The upcoming fixture promises to be another test of their mettle as they seek to advance further in the competition.
Scheduled to be played between March 4th and 6th for the first leg, and between the 11th and 13th of the same month for the second leg, anticipation is high for this exciting matchup.
Reflecting on their past performances, Al-Nassr has reached this stage three times previously, in 2019, 2020, and 2022. While they stumbled at the quarterfinal hurdle in 2019, they managed to navigate through to the next round in the subsequent two editions of the tournament.
As they gear up for their quarterfinal showdown, Al-Nassr aims to harness their collective strength and momentum to continue their journey towards AFC Champions League glory.
