Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Al Nassr, propelling them toward the Asian Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Al Gharafa in Qatar.
Ronaldo’s performance on Monday brought Al Nassr close to advancing, needing just two more points from their remaining three group games. Only Al Shorta, who have two points with four games remaining, pose a threat to their qualification after Persepolis’s 1-1 draw at Al Rayyan.
Despite a challenging first half filled with missed opportunities at Al Bayt Stadium, Ronaldo broke the deadlock just over 50 seconds into the second half by heading in a cross from Sultan Al Ghannam.
Big win tonight! pic.twitter.com/W3HTxddz6U
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 25, 2024Shortly after, Angelo Gabriel, a recent addition from Chelsea, doubled their lead at 58 minutes. Six minutes later, he assisted Ronaldo in his second goal of the match, bringing the star’s total to four goals in this season’s competition. Ronaldo was substituted in the 74th minute.
Al Gharafa scored through Joselu, Ronaldo’s former teammate at Madrid. However, their comeback hopes were dashed when Seydou Sano received his second yellow card, reducing them to ten men with just six minutes remaining in regular time.
🔚 | صافـرة النهايـة! 👏
النصر 3 – 1 الغرافة
⚽️⚽️ كريستيانو رونالدو
⚽️ انجيلو جابرييل#النصر_الغرافة | #AlNassrAlGharafah pic.twitter.com/QtNtIdS9Xq
— نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) November 25, 2024Al Nassr’s victory keeps them unbeaten through five matches and second in the 12-team Western group.
Meanwhile, Al Ahli secured their spot in the knockout stages by maintaining a perfect record. Substitute Ivan Toney, a late transfer from Brentford, scored twice after coming on at 65 minutes to help defeat Asian champions Al Ain 2-1 in the UAE. His quick succession goals, assisted by Riyad Mahrez, solidified Al Ahli’s top position in the Western standings with 15 points.
In another match, Esteghlal of Iran played to a goalless draw against Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor Tashkent in Dubai.
