A penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and a brace from Jhon Duran secured Al Nassr’s place in the AFC Champions League Elite quarterfinals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Esteghlal on Monday.
After being rested for last week’s goalless first-leg draw in Iran, Ronaldo returned to captain the side at Al Awwal Park and made an immediate impact. The Portuguese forward converted a penalty midway through the first half, taking his tally to seven goals in six appearances in this year’s competition.
Al Nassr, one of three Saudi Arabian teams that dominated the group stage in the west region, wasted no time asserting their control. Just nine minutes into the match, Duran, a winter signing from Premier League club Aston Villa, pounced on a loose ball at the edge of the Esteghlal box and executed a sublime chip over goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini, marking his first goal in the tournament.
Their advantage doubled in the 27th minute when former Liverpool star Sadio Mané was brought down inside the box by Esteghlal midfielder Zobeir Niknafs. Ronaldo calmly slotted the penalty into the centre of the net, reinforcing his status as the competition’s top scorer. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is also leading the Saudi Pro League scoring charts with 18 goals this season.
The visitors’ night took a further downturn just before halftime when Mehran Ahmadi was shown a second yellow card for catching Al Nassr defender Mohammed Al Fatil in the face while attempting to shield the ball. Initially booked for the challenge, Ahmadi’s punishment was upgraded to a sending-off after a VAR review, reducing Esteghlal to 10 men.
Al Nassr pressed for a third goal early in the second half. Duran’s initial effort was saved, with Ayman Yahya’s follow-up cleared off the line. Moments later, the Colombian forward rattled the crossbar with a powerful long-range strike. However, he was not to be denied, sealing his brace with a well-placed low shot inside the near post after receiving a pass from former Chelsea winger Angelo.
Elsewhere, two-time Asian champions Al Sadd clinched their spot in the last eight with a 4-2 aggregate triumph over UAE’s Al Wasl. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Dubai, Al Sadd fell behind early when Fabio Lima put the visitors ahead. However, the Qatari side responded emphatically, scoring three times in a 10-minute span before the half-hour mark, with Mostafa Meshaal, Youcef Atal, and reigning Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif all finding the net.
