AFP
01 October, 2024, 11:00 am
Closing modified: 01 October, 2024, 11:06 am
Cristiano Ronaldo helped original Al Nassr manager Stefano Pioli salvage pleasure from a a success AFC Champions League Elite debut on Monday, because the Saudi Arabian side defeated Qatar’s Al Rayyan 2-1 in Riyadh.
Sadio Mane gave Al Nassr the lead at Al Awwal Park in first-half stoppage time, the favorite Liverpool and Bayern Munich ahead assembly Sultan Al Ghannam’s fabulous deep unsuitable to transfer dwelling from terminate differ.
Ronaldo, making his first look in the rebranded Asian Champions League having missed last week’s 1-1 opening scheme in opposition to Iraqi club Al Shorta, had a goal disallowed for a narrow offside before everything of the 2nd half.
Undeterred, the 5-time Uefa Champions League winner doubled Al Nassr’s benefit on 76 minutes when he got Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s paddle and curled an resplendent left-footed strike into the collect.
The hosts got a dismay slack on, even supposing, Brazilian Roger Guedes scoring off Aschraf Bencharki’s low centre at the support put up. Aloof, Al Nassr held on to bear it four aspects from two suits.
Saudi Arabian counterparts, Al Ahli, recorded a 2nd successive collect to commence up their Asian marketing campaign, with Riyad Mahrez involving the guests to a 2-0 victory at UAE champions Al Wasl in Dubai.
The favorite Manchester City winger opened the scoring at Zabeel Stadium on three minutes. Assembly defender Roger Ibanez’s comely long paddle over the Al Wasl defence, Mahrez controlled the ball expertly sooner than prodding a shot low into the nook.
Al Ahli, who began the match with summer season signing Ivan Toney up front, doubled their lead seven minutes sooner than halftime, when the two same players mixed. This time, it became as soon as Mahrez who changed into provider, curling a nook onto the head of Ibanez for the favorite Roma centre-support to powerfully nod dwelling.
The collect provides some respite to manager Matthias Jaissle. The German, 36, has attain below heavy criticism this previous week following Al Ahli’s elimination from the King’s Cup to 2nd-tier Al Jandal and Friday’s Saudi Pro League defeat to Al Qadsiah.
Within the meantime, 2011 Asian champions Al Sadd of Qatar secured a 2-0 collect in opposition to Iran’s Esteghlal at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. An own goal from visiting goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini and an Akram Afif penalty settled the tie.
Also on Monday, Iran’s Persepolis had been held to a 1-1 scheme at dwelling by Pakhtakor FC no topic taking a major-minute lead at Shahr-E Qods Stadium in Qods.
The AFC Champions League Elite facets 24 teams – 12 from West Asia and 12 from East Asia. With each club taking part in four suits at dwelling and four away, the cease eight in either side of the scheme development to the knockout phases early next 365 days.
The eventual winner receives $10 million in prize cash, an lengthen from $4 million last season.
