Cristiano Ronaldo eyes Asian Champions League triumph as finals head to Saudi Arabia

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr is among three major Saudi Arabian clubs investing heavily in their pursuit of AFC Champions League success on home turf as the final knockout rounds commence this Friday.

The desert nation will host the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final of Asia's top club tournament, now rebranded as the AFC Champions League Elite, from April 25 to May 3 in Jeddah.

These affluent Saudi clubs have attracted European stars, positioning Jeddah's Al Ahli and Riyadh's Al Hilal and Al Nassr as frontrunners for the trophy, which will be contested on May 3 at the 62,000-seat King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Saudi teams have excelled in the West Zone league stages, with Al Hilal and Al Ahli remaining unbeaten in eight matches, while Al Nassr secured the third position.

At 40 years old, Portugal's Ronaldo, a former star of Manchester United and Real Madrid, continues to perform admirably, having scored seven goals in this season's competition as he aims to secure his first AFC Champions League title in the latter stages of his illustrious career.

Al Nassr's coach, Stefano Pioli, is optimistic that his team, which was eliminated in the quarter-finals last year, can achieve ultimate success.

"I always have great confidence in the players because of our hard work in training," said the former AC Milan boss.

"Sometimes the results do not do us justice but we know that we are on the right path."

First, his team must face last year's runners-up, Yokohama F-Marinos from Japan, who are currently in turmoil following the dismissal of manager Steve Holland last week, just under four months after he took over as the former assistant to Gareth Southgate.

Yokohama sits at the bottom of the J.League with only one victory in 12 matches, although they previously led the East Zone and triumphed over Chinese champions Shanghai Port with a 5-1 aggregate score in the last 16.

'We have not been performing well, but our focus is on our next steps,' stated Yokohama midfielder Riku Yamane after their loss in the first match under interim manager Patrick Kisnorbo last week.

"We need to all be on the same page about how we want to play, including the small details."

The winners will meet either another Japanese club, Kawasaki Frontale, or Al Sadd of Qatar in the semi-finals.

Al Hilal, aiming to secure their fifth Asian championship title, which would extend their record, will compete against Gwangju, a team making their debut from South Korea.

Despite allowing Brazilian superstar Neymar to return to Santos, the Saudi champions still have access to high-caliber players such as Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrovic and the Portuguese duo of Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves.

"Al Hilal are a good team, like most West teams are and, to be honest, are better than teams from the East," said Gwangju technical director Jang Ki-bong.

"But we are not afraid and we will fight to defy the odds and make sure that we do everything we can to compete against them."

Al Ahli boasts an impressive roster, featuring former Premier League forwards Ivan Toney, Roberto Firmino, and Riyad Mahrez. They are set to compete against Thailand's Buriram United, with a win paving the way for a possible all-Saudi semi-final clash with Al Hilal.

"Holding the finals in Jeddah will help us, and we will give everything we have to win the title," said former Manchester City attacker Mahrez.