Ronaldo, Mane and Felix lead Al-Nassr attack against Al-Ain in AFC Champions League
Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Joao Felix start for Al-Nassr as they face Al-Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite round at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Al Ain displayed their AFC Champions League prowess by overwhelming Al Nassr's star-studded team in a dominating performance during the Asian Champions League opener. Young Moroccan striker Houssine Rahimi was the standout player, scoring twice and being substituted in a standing ovation. After his substitution, his brother Soufiane added a third goal, with Georgios Giakoumakis contributing a fourth.
The Moroccan siblings led an outstanding display by the UAE champions, much to the delight of the 17,433-strong crowd. Despite the presence of football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the expensively assembled guests could not match Al Ain's skill. Al Ain's first goal came when Houssine capitalized on an errant pass, finishing past the goalkeeper.
He scored again shortly after, but the second goal was ruled offside. The Saudi Arabian side showed resilience after halftime, but could not close the gap as Al Ain added a second and third goal, including a brilliant save by goalkeeper Khalid Essa from a free-kick by Ronaldo.
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