Arguably the greatest player in UEFA Champions League history, Cristiano Ronaldo is also set on a mission to conquer the Asian continent, having helped Al Nassr qualify for the Champions League.
Luis Castro’s side earned a 4-2 win over Shabab Al-Ahli in the qualifying encounter, and they secured the victory in dramatic fashion.
Al Nassr raced into the lead in the 11th minute, with Anderson Talisca scoring following a corner delivered by summer signing Marcelo Brozovic.
However, Shabab Al-Ahli shockingly turned the tie around, via a brace from midfielder Yahya Al Ghassani, scoring in the 18th and 46th minute.
With two minutes to the end of normal time, it appeared Ronaldo had instilled that clutch instinct in his teammates and they rose to the occasion.
Sultan Al Ghanam leveled the affair before Anderson Talisca took Al Nassr in front in the 5th minute of additional time.
Marcelo Brozovic, who was sublime all evening, put the icing on the cake, and he was assisted by captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
That exchange of play between Ronaldo and Brozovic which resulted in a goal was a milestone.
The Croatia international became the 90th different player to have scored from a Cristiano Ronaldo assist.
The former Manchester United player was seen visibly distraught during the game, as he was protesting to the officials after they turned a blind eye to a seemingly blatant penalty.
Cristiano Ronaldo helps Al Nassr qualify for Asian Champions League
Al Nassr’s victory in the Asian Champions League brought a lot of relief to the players, who were on a two-game losing streak across all competitions.
The Pro League runners-up commenced the season with back-to-back defeats against Al Ettifaq and Al Taawoun, which saw them slip to 15th on the table.
Luis Castro’s side would be hoping that the victory picked up against Shabab Al-Ahli in the Asian Champions League can signal a positive turn-around in the club’s fortune this campaign.
Following the tumultuous arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in December 2022, Al Nassr have made more reinforcements, signing; Otávio, Sadio Mané, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles this summer.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez took to Instagram on Tuesday, August 23, 2023, to share a detailed and captivating post.
Georgina shared a picture of herself and Ronaldo shopping at Gucci, where their love affair began.
The Argentine also put out several pictures, including one which showed their daughter Bella Esmeralda looking cute.
Georgina Rodriguez captioned the post with: “Multifaceted, lucky and grateful to God 💖”
She also added: “⭐️ Gio for Guees.
Shopping at Gucci, where our story of love and life together began.
⭐️ Supporting dad at the stadium.
⭐️Spiderman and Bella making a good team.
My home, my day to day.
⭐️ Mirror selfie after training.
Bella Esmeralda dazzling me with her look.
⭐️ Mateo decorating her bed, the handyman of the house.
⭐️ Eva surprising me at the gym with a special gift. Title of the artwork, mom heart.
I took my 5 soles to buy and they surprised me by rewarding me when I got home.”
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 20 goals and provided 3 assists in 27 appearances for Al Nassr across all competitions.