Shame! Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr lose 4-0 in AFC Champions League opener
Al-Nassr could hardly have imagined a worse start to their Asian campaign.
Details: Cristiano Ronaldo started for Al-Nassr, but Ange Postecoglou’s side were crushed 4-0 by Al-Ain in the opening round of the AFC Champions League. The Saudi club failed to score and suffered a brutal defeat in their first match of the tournament.
Al-Ain took control in the 25th minute when Houssine Rahimi opened the scoring. The same player struck again in the 63rd minute to make it 2-0 and leave the visitors facing a huge mountain to climb.
Things only got worse for Ronaldo and his teammates. Soufiane Rahimi added a third goal in the 72nd minute before Georgios Giakoumakis completed the rout five minutes from time, sealing a stunning 4-0 victory for the UAE side.
Al-Nassr actually had 58% possession and won the corner count 10-2, but those numbers brought them little joy. Postecoglou’s team managed only three shots on target, while Al-Ain registered seven and ruthlessly converted their best opportunities.
It is worth noting that Al-Ain entered this clash unbeaten in their first five UAE Pro League matches of the season, recording four victories and one draw. Their impressive domestic form has now been followed by a spectacular start on the Asian stage.
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Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
