Al Nassr Struggles in Ronaldo’s Absence; Al Ahli and Al Ain Earn Draws in Asian Champions League Opener
Al Nassr faced challenges without Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday, as the Saudi club began their revamped Asian Champions League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Al Shorta in Baghdad.
Ronaldo, who missed the match due to a viral infection, was sorely missed. Al Nassr got off to a promising start with Sultan Al Ghannam scoring from a pass by Otavio in the 14th minute.
However, Al Shorta equalized just 10 minutes later. A defensive error by Salem Al Najdi and Mohamed Simakan allowed Mohammed Dawood to score for the hosts.
In Jeddah, Al Ahli secured a narrow 1-0 win over Iran’s Persepolis, with Franck Kessie scoring in the second minute from a Riyad Mahrez assist.
Although Persepolis had a penalty opportunity before halftime, it was overturned by VAR. Al Ahli’s new signing, Ivan Toney, also had a penalty chance in the second half, but Mahrez’s attempt was saved. Toney missed a late opportunity to score.
Al Ain began their title defense with a 1-1 draw against Qatar’s Al Sadd. Akram Afif put Al Sadd ahead, but Matias Palacios equalized for Al Ain late in the match.
In another fixture, Iran’s Esteghlal defeated Al Gharafa of Qatar 3-0.
The new Asian Champions League format features 24 teams divided into West and East Asia. Each team will play four home and four away matches, with the top eight teams from each region advancing to the knockout stages next year
