March 12, (THEWILL)- Al Nassr’s hopes of clinching the prestigious AFC Champions League were dashed on Monday night, as they suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat against Al Ain in the quarter-finals. The Saudi Arabian side, boasting the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, had battled valiantly to force extra time after a thrilling 4-4 draw on aggregate, but ultimately fell short in the nerve-wracking penalty shootout.
The match began with Al Nassr trailing 1-0 from the first leg, and their task was made even more daunting when Al Ain’s Soufiane Rahimi struck twice before the halftime break to extend the visitors’ aggregate lead to 3-0. However, a spirited second-half fightback from Al Nassr, fuelled by goals from Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Alex Telles and an own goal from Al Ain’s goalkeeper, Khalid Eisa, levelled the tie at 4-4, sending the contest into extra time.
The drama continued for an additional 30 minutes, as Al Nassr were reduced to 10 men following Aiman Yahya’s dismissal for a reckless challenge. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the home side continued to push for the winner, but it was Al Ain who regained the aggregate lead through Sultan Al-Shamsi’s volley, capitalising on a goalkeeping error from Raghid Al-Najjar.
With the score level at 4-4 after extra time, the tie was decided by a penalty shootout. Ronaldo converted his spot-kick but missed opportunities from teammates Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Otavio ultimately sealed Al Nassr’s fate. Eisa, who had earlier endured a night of blunders, emerged as the hero for Al Ain, saving two penalties to guide his team to a 3-1 shootout triumph and a place in the semi-finals.
The defeat will undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow for Ronaldo and Al Nassr, who had high hopes of clinching the prestigious continental crown. The Portuguese superstar, now 39, will be left to ponder what could have been, as his quest for further Champions League glory was cut short in dramatic fashion.
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