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Al-Nassr FC defeated Al Fayha 2-0 in their second AFC Champions League Round of 16 match.
Ronaldo’s All-Al-Nassr will face the first leg of quarterfinals against UAE club Al-Ain.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Otavio scored as Al Nassr defeated Al Fayha 2-0 (3-0 on aggregate) in their AFC Champions League Round of 16 second leg match at Al-Awwal Park on Thursday.
Al Nassr, which has qualified for the AFC Champions League quarterfinals for the first time, will now face Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates, with the first leg slated for March 4.
Coming into the tie with a 1-0 aggregate advantage thanks to Ronaldo’s 81st-minute strike in the first leg, Al Nassr made an immediate impact in the second leg.
In the 17th minute, Abdullah Al-Khaibari delivered a wonderful ball over the top to Otavio, who scored with a first-time header between Vladimir Stojkovic’s legs.
Al-Nassr FC against Al-Fayha FC | Post-Match Review
Ronaldo came close to adding a second, but his header from Marcelo Brozovic’s cross hit the post.
Despite dominating in all departments, Al Nassr was unable to extend its lead, much to the frustration of Luis Castro, who received a yellow card late in the second half after strongly contesting the referee’s decision to book Ronaldo seconds before.
The narrative did not change in the second half, with Al Nassr dominating proceedings.
Ronaldo showed wonderful control early on, receiving a pass from Marcelo Brozovic, going around Stojkovic, and putting the ball in the back of the net, but his delight was short-lived as the assistant raised the offside flag.
After repeated attempts to break down the Al Fayha defence, Sadio Mane came close in the 85th minute, going one-on-one with Stojkovic, but the Senegalese lost his cool and squandered his chance.
When Al Nassr fans expected the match to conclude in a dreary 1-0 victory, their skipper gave them reason to celebrate.
A minute after Mane’s mistake, Ronaldo received a wonderful ball over the top, and the Portuguese timed his run perfectly. Stojkovic came off his line to clear the ball, sensing danger, but failed to connect properly. With an empty net in front of him, Ronaldo finished easily to round off a successful night.
