Cristiano Ronaldo Faces Tough Defeat as Al-Nassr Crushed by Al-Ain in AFC Champions League Elite
Al-Nassr Overwhelmed by Al-Ain in AFC Champions League Elite
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr endured a crushing 4-0 loss against Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite, with Soufiane Rahimi leading the UAE side to a commanding victory. This defeat marks Ronaldo’s heaviest since joining the Saudi club.
Match Breakdown
- 25 minutes: Houssine Rahimi opened the scoring for Al-Ain.
- 60+ minutes: Houssine Rahimi doubled the lead shortly after the hour mark.
- 72 minutes: Soufiane Rahimi, Houssine’s brother, netted the third goal.
- Final moments: Soufiane Rahimi assisted Georgios Giakoumakis to seal the 4-0 win.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo, chasing his 980th career goal, had little impact and saw his late free-kick saved easily by goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.
Coach Postecoglou Takes Responsibility
"The players gave everything they had, and I do not place any responsibility on them... and the responsibility is my responsibility," said Al-Nassr head coach Ange Postecoglou after the match.
He was blunt about the team’s overall performance: "Al-Nassr as a whole was poor."
Al-Nassr’s Struggles Continue
This 4-0 loss is the worst Ronaldo has experienced since August 2022, when Manchester United suffered the same scoreline against Brentford. The Saudi champions have now won only one of their last four matches across all competitions.
Other Saudi Clubs’ Results
- Al-Hilal beat Qatar's Al-Gharafa 2-1 thanks to goals from Ruben Neves (penalty) and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic; the game saw both teams finish with 10 men.
- Al-Qadsiah secured a 2-1 victory over UAE’s Al-Wasl.
Looking Ahead
Al-Nassr must quickly regroup to stop their decline and get back on track in the continental competition. Meanwhile, other Saudi teams like reigning champions Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad aim to bounce back after both teams drew 1-1 against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor and Qatar’s Al-Shamal, respectively.
