Cristiano Ronaldo gives Al Nassr the edge in Asian Champions League last 16 clash

In Riyadh on Wednesday, Al Nassr secured a 1-0 victory against Al Fayha, a fellow Saudi Pro League team, thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's (39) decisive goal in the 81st minute. This breakthrough shattered Al Fayha's resistance and set the tone for the first leg of their Asian Champions League last 16 clash.

Luis Castro's side had a frustrating evening as the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward made the difference. Ronaldo capitalized on a lofted return pass from Marcelo Brozovic to volley the ball past Vladimir Stojkovic, securing victory for Al Nassr.

The second leg between the teams will take place in Riyadh next Wednesday, with a quarter-final spot on the line.

In the first half, both teams struggled to find a breakthrough, and Ronaldo was denied by Stojkovic from close range in stoppage time. The Serbian goalkeeper also pushed away Ronaldo's 64th-minute header, while Anderson Talisca's overhead kick narrowly missed the target.

As time was running out, Ronaldo passed the ball to Brozovic on the edge of the area before making a run into the box. He met his teammate's looping pass with a right-foot strike that found the top corner of the net.

Meanwhile, Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates played out a goalless draw against Nasaf from Uzbekistan at the Markaziy Stadium in Qarshi. Soufiane Rahimi came closest to scoring when his curling free kick hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.

Yokohama F Marinos coach Harry Kewell was denied a winning start as Mahmoud Eid's stoppage-time header secured a 2-2 draw for Bangkok United against the Japanese side. Kewell took over from Kevin Muscat and saw his team take a two-goal lead through Elber and Kota Watanabe.

However, Nitipong Selanon pulled one back for Bangkok United before Eid equalized with a powerful header in stoppage time. Ken Matsubara of Marinos was sent off in the dying seconds of the match. The return leg will be held in Yokohama next Wednesday.

In the all-South Korean battle between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Pohang Steelers at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Hernandes and Ahn Hyeon-beom scored to give Dan Petrescu's team a 2-0 advantage in the first leg.

Kawasaki Frontale secured a 3-2 victory against Shandong Taishan, a team from the Chinese Super League, on Tuesday. This triumph gives them a slight advantage as they head into the second leg in Japan.