Ronaldo's team enters AFC Champions League group stage

Saudi Arabia superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will play in the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League group stage, after Al Nassr beat Shabab Al Ahli (UAE) 4-2 in the play-off round.

Scoring: Talisca 11, 95, Ghannam 88, Brozovic 97 - Ghassani 18, 46

Due to the AFC's restrictions on foreign players, Al Nassr could only register five foreign players: Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Ghislain Konan and Anderson Talisca. They fell behind but three goals in the last nine minutes helped the home team advance despite captain Ronaldo's continued goallessness.

Al Nassr players celebrate the opening goal against Shabab Al Ahli Dubai at Al-Awwal Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on August 22, 2023. Photo: ANFC

Ronaldo failed to score for the third consecutive match, but did assist Brozovic's goal to make it 4-2. Receiving the ball on the right in the penalty area, the 38-year-old superstar passed it to the second line for the Croatian midfielder to shoot with his left foot into the far corner of the net.

Apart from the assist, Ronaldo did not have many chances but was present at controversial hot spots. He asked for a penalty three times, all in the extra minutes of the two halves, but referee Fu Ming did not blow the whistle. The Portuguese striker also dribbled and fell in front of the penalty area once, and once his free kick from 30 meters went over the bar.

Ronaldo had to get angry at the end of the first half because he thought the referee ignored two consecutive penalties from Al Nassr. In the first minute of injury time, the former Man Utd striker leaned over to hook the ball impromptu from Brozovic's cross, hitting the opponent's raised hand. Two minutes later, Ronaldo dribbled in the penalty area and was pushed down by Luka Milivojevic. The Al Nassr captain was angry, ran in front of the referee and shouted loudly. After the first half whistle, he also went straight into the tunnel and pushed a team member in the chest.

Ronaldo's outburst also shows the difficulty Al Nassr will face against an underdog. The home team's squad value is up to 164 million USD, nearly six times higher than their opponent. According to Opta Power , Al Nassr is ranked 166th in the world , while Shabab is outside the Top 300. On Google , Shabab does not even have an updated logo.

However, the on-field action did not show that the two teams were so different in skill. Brazilian striker Anderson Talisca headed the opening goal in the 11th minute, but Yahya Al Ghassani equalised just seven minutes later. The visitors surprised everyone by taking the lead early in the second half, leaving Al Nassr in danger of being eliminated until Sultan Al Ghannam headed home the equaliser in the 88th minute. The two teams did not have to play extra time, as in the second half stoppage time, Talisca and Brozovic scored in turn to seal a 4-2 victory.

Mane dribbles the ball during the match. Photo: ANFC

The AFC Champions League group stage draw will take place on August 24, with 40 teams divided into 10 groups and two regions. In addition to Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia has three clubs that have gone straight into the group stage: Al Hilal, Al Ittihad and Al-Fayha. They will play in the AFC's Western region, while Hanoi FC will compete in the Eastern region. To compete with Ronaldo, Hanoi will have to enter the final with Al Nassr.

Hoang An

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