Duran and Ronaldo Propel Al Nassr into Asian Champions League Quarter-Finals

Jhon Duran of Al Nassr netted a brace, while Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty, as the Saudi Pro League team secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League with a resounding 3-0 victory over Esteghlal from Iran on Monday. In another matchup, Qatar’s Al-Sadd triumphed over Al Wasl.

Akram Afif played a pivotal role in Al-Sadd’s 3-1 win in Doha, finding the net as he propelled Felix Sanchez’s squad to a 4-2 aggregate victory over their United Arab Emirates counterparts.

Al Nassr’s triumph in Riyadh followed a goalless draw in the first leg in Tehran last week, sending Stefano Pioli’s side through to the quarter-finals. These matches are set to take place in Jeddah during a centralised tournament from April 25 to May 3.

Duran opened the scoring for Al Nassr just nine minutes in, deftly lifting the ball over Esteghlal goalkeeper Seyed Hossein Hosseini, who had carelessly given the striker possession from 25 metres out.

The hosts doubled their advantage at the penalty spot when Ronaldo confidently slotted home in the 27th minute, following a poor challenge by Mohammad Niknafs on Sadio Mane.

Esteghlal’s hopes of a comeback were further dashed late in the first half when Mehran Ahmadi received a second yellow card after catching Mohammed Al Fatil in the face with his arm.

Duran secured his second goal of the match six minutes from the final whistle, hitting a low shot into the bottom corner after nearly scoring earlier when he struck the post, allowing Al Nassr to cruise to victory.

“I think we played really well,” Mane remarked. “We created plenty of opportunities and managed to score three goals, which is our just reward.

“We pressed them effectively, forcing mistakes that led to our goals. We’ve kept a clean sheet, and we couldn’t ask for more than that.”

Al-Sadd advanced after a remarkable 11-minute period in the first half against Al Wasl, during which they netted three goals to overcome Fabio Lima’s early strike.

The Brazil-born forward opened the scoring for Al Wasl in the 10th minute, finishing with a first-time shot after Alexis Perez’s cross navigated over the Al-Sadd defence.

However, Afif answered back for Al-Sadd 16 minutes later, cleverly unlocking the Al Wasl defence as he surged towards the byline, before pulling the ball back to Mostafa Meshaal, who calmly finished into the bottom corner.

Al-Sadd took the lead in the 30th minute, thanks to Youcef Atal, who cut inside and struck from a tight angle, his effort deflecting off Al Wasl defender Jung Seung-hyun and past Khaled Al-Senaani.

The Asian Player of the Year, Afif, showcased his talent with the third goal in the 37th minute, orchestrating a short free kick to Claudinho before bending the return ball into the top corner from 20 metres out.