Al Sadd of Qatar claimed a crucial 2-1 victory over Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite on Monday, securing their spot in the round of 16. The match, which saw Cristiano Ronaldo absent from Al Nassr squad, marked first defeat for Saudi Arabian side in competition.
Al Nassr had already sealed their place in the knockout stages, so they rested Ronaldo, who had been in superb form with five goals in his last three outings. Al Sadd capitalized on the absence of the Portuguese star, taking the lead through Akram Afif in the 53rd minute, just eight minutes after the second half began. Afif, named the Asian Player of the Year in November, was instrumental in his team’s success.
Al Nassr responded with strong attacking play, with Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca both coming close to equalizing. Their efforts paid off when Al Sadd’s Romain Saiss scored an own-goal, bringing the score to 1-1 with 10-minutes left.
However, in the dramatic final moments of the match, Afif was fouled in the penalty area. In ninth-minute of added time, Algeria’s Adam Ounas stepped up to convert penalty, securing a vital win for Al Sadd. The victory propelled them into fourth place in their group, just one point behind Al Nassr, who sits in third. The top eight teams from each of the two groups will progress to the knockout stage.
“It was a tough and close game,” said Al Sadd coach Felix Sanchez. “We worked hard to deny Al Nassr possession and to secure the win at their home stadium. The players showed great character.”
In other Group-D action, Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia finished atop standings after they held Iran’s Esteghlal to a 2-2 draw. Ivan Toney scored both goals for Al-Ahli, while Raphael Silva and Mohammad Hossein Eslami found the net for Esteghlal.
Elsewhere, Persepolis of Iran defeated Al Shorta of Iraq 2-1, while Al Wasl of the UAE played to a 1-1 draw with Al Rayyan of Qatar.
