Ronaldo and Duran on target as Al Nassr down Esteghlal
A brace from winter signing Jhon Duran and a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Al Nassr secure a 3-0 win over Esteghlal in the second leg of their Asian Champions League Round of 16 tie at the Al Awwal Stadium in Riyadh.
The first leg had ended in a goalless draw, meaning Al Nassr progressed to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 aggregate score.
Al Nassr started the match strongly, hoping for an early goal from their star-studded attacking trio of Duran, Ronaldo, and Sadio Mane.
The opening goal came thanks to a mistake from Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini. His poor pass was intercepted by Duran, who outmuscled the defender before calmly chipping the ball past the stranded keeper.
The second goal arrived before the 30-minute mark due to another error at the back. Ronaldo chased a loose ball in the Esteghlal box and backheeled it to Mane, who was fouled. Ronaldo then confidently converted the penalty into the centre of the goal to double the lead.
Esteghlal’s Mehran Ahmadi was sent off just before half-time, leaving the visitors with only 10 men as they tried to mount an unlikely comeback.
In the second half, Al Nassr continued to press, creating several chances with quick, intricate passes. They finally added a third goal in the 84th minute. Duran finished coolly into the far left corner after a fast counter-attack.
Despite missing a few opportunities and Esteghlal improving as the game went on, Al Nassr held on to their lead and sealed their place in the quarterfinals.
