Al Nassr secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League after defeating Al Fayha 2-0 in the second leg of the 1/8 round. The victory came thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Otavio. With a comfortable 3-0 aggregate score, Al Nassr now prepares to face Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates in the next round.
Having already won the first leg against Al Fayha 1-0, Al Nassr entered the second leg with confidence. Ronaldo’s goal in the match sealed their advancement. The team has been in superb form, winning eight out of their last nine matches.
Al Nassr wasted no time asserting their dominance in the game, with Otavio scoring in the 17th minute to give them a 1-0 lead. Despite several opportunities, both Ronaldo and Sadio Mane failed to find the back of the net in the first half. Al Fayha’s hopes were dashed when Ronaldo’s goal early in the second half was ruled offside. However, in the 86th minute, Ronaldo capitalized on a goalkeeper error and secured a 2-0 victory for Al Nassr.
Throughout the match, the 39-year-old Ronaldo displayed his usual aggression and movement on the field. He played the full 90 minutes, had 55 touches, completed four shots with two on target, and had an 83% pass accuracy rate.
Looking ahead, Al Nassr will face Al-Ain in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League. Before that, they have a crucial matchup against Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League as they aim to close the seven-point gap between the two teams.