AFC Champions League: Al Nassr sets up quarterfinal clash with UAE’s Al-Ain

Al Nassr clinched a 2-0 win against Al Fayha in their AFC Champions League Round of 16 second clash to set up a quarterfinal battle with Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates.

FILE- Nassr’s Portuguese forward #07 Cristiano Ronaldo (R) celebrates with his teammates. | Photo Credit: AFP

Cristiano Ronaldo and Otavio found the net as Al Nassr clinched a 2-0 win (3-0 on aggregate) against Al Fayha in their AFC Champions League Round of 16 second leg clash at the Al-Awwal Park on Thursday.

Al Nassr, which has qualified for the AFC Champions League quarterfinals for the first time, will now face United Arab Emirates’ Al-Ain, with the first leg scheduled on March 4.

Coming into the tie with a 1-0 lead on aggregate, courtesy of Ronaldo’s 81st-minute strike in the first leg, Al Nassr did not take long to make its mark in the second leg.

Abdullah Al-Khaibari played an excellent ball over the top to Otavio, who slotted the ball inside the net between Vladimir Stojkovic’s legs with a first-time header in the 17th minute.

AS IT HAPPENED: Al Nassr vs Al Fayha highlights

Ronaldo came close to adding a second, but his header from Marcelo Brozovic’s cross clattered against the post.

Despite dominating in all departments, Al Nassr could not build on its lead, much to Luis Castro’s frustration, who saw a yellow card late in the second half after vehemently protesting the referee’s decision to book Ronaldo seconds earlier.

The narrative did not change in the second half as Al Nassr dominated proceedings.

Early on, Ronaldo showed excellent composure to receive a pass from Marcelo Brozovic, go around Stojkovic and put the ball inside the net, but his joy was short-lived as the assistant raised the flag for offside.

After several attempts to thwart the Al Fayha defence, Sadio Mane came close in the 85th minute, coming one-on-one with Stojkovic, but the Senegalese could not keep his composure and fluffed his effort.

When the Al Nassr fans thought the match would end in a drab 1-0 win, their captain gave them a reason to rejoice.

A minute after Mane’s miss, Ronaldo received an excellent ball over the top, with the Portuguese timing his run to perfection. Anticipating the danger, Stojkovic came off his line to clear the ball but failed to make a proper connection. With an empty net in front of him, Ronaldo put the ball inside the net with an easy finish to end the night on a high.