Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Stage Dramatic Comeback to Reach Asian Champions League

• Al-Nassr beat Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai 4-2 to reach the Asian Champions League
• The win over Al-Ahli Dubai means the Knights of Najd return to the Champions League after missing out on the 2022 edition
• Victory over the Emirati club marked their first win after back-to-back defeats in the Saudi Pro League

Al-Nassr orchestrated a stunning comeback to secure their place in the 2023 Asian Champions League in a thrilling match on Tuesday, August 22.

Despite trailing for a significant portion of the game against Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai, the Knights of Najd clinched victory with remarkable performances from their key players.

Anderson Talisca was the day's hero, scoring two crucial goals, while Al Ghannam and Marcelo Brozovic each contributed with a single strike, Sportstar reports.

Al-Nassr's dramatic comeback

Al-Nassr kicked off the AFC Champions League qualifiers' final phase on a positive note as Talisca expertly nodded home a fantastic cross from Brozovic.

Ronaldo scores crucial goal to power Al-Nassr to Arab Cup final, video

Football

However, their joy was short-lived as the visitors equalized in the 18th minute when Yahya Alghassani capitalized on a perfect pass from Dabbur.

After halftime, the Saudi club found themselves on the back foot, with Alghassani securing his brace and giving the Emirati club an unexpected lead.

Despite their visible frustration, Luis Castro's team continued to push forward with little success until substitute Al Ghannam struck with just two minutes left in regulation time, igniting the crowd's spirits.

The 29-year-old defender's goal shifted the momentum decisively in favour of the home team.

Talisca then scored again, putting Al-Nassr in the lead five minutes into stoppage time before Brozovic netted his first goal with assistance from Cristiano Ronaldo in the dying moments of the game, per Inside Sport.

This result ensures that the Riyadh-based club will join Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal as representatives of Saudi Arabia in this year's Champions League.

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Ronaldo rages at referee

In a related publication, Sports Brief reported that Al-Nassr captain Ronaldo exploded with fury during Tuesday's AFC Champions League game against Shabab Al-Ahli after the referee refused to award him three penalty kicks.

Ronaldo thought he should have had a first spot kick in the 27th minute after he was fouled in the penalty area.

But the referee's decision to waive the 38-year-old's appeal left the ex-Manchester United star fuming as he looked to add to Talisca's earlier goal.