Cristiano Ronaldo misses Al Nassr draw in Asian Champions League opener

Al Nassr faced challenges in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo (39) on Monday, as the Saudi club commenced the restructured Asian Champions League with a 1-1 draw against Al Shorta in Iraq.

The captain, Ronaldo, did not accompany the team to Baghdad, following a statement from the club the previous day indicating that the Portuguese star had been diagnosed with a viral infection.

Al Nassr, who were eliminated in the quarter-finals of last season's Asian Champions League by the eventual champions Al Ain, enjoyed a promising start in the Iraqi capital. Full-back Sultan Al Ghannam capitalized on Otavio's clever first-time pass in the 14th minute, finishing low past Al Shorta goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

However, the home team equalized ten minutes later. A defensive error involving new signings Salem Al Najdi and former RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan allowed Al Shorta forward Mohammed Dawood to capitalize, sending a remarkable shot over Bento in the Al Nassr goal. In another match, fellow Saudi club Al Ahli secured a narrow 1-0 victory at home against Iran's Persepolis in Jeddah, with new signing Ivan Toney making his debut in Asian football.

The Ivory Coast international Franck Kessie opened the scoring in the second minute, finishing from an assist by Riyad Mahrez. Persepolis was awarded a penalty four minutes before half-time when Merih Demiral was adjudged to have fouled inside the area, but the decision was reversed after a VAR review. In the second half, Toney earned Al Ahli a penalty after being brought down by defender Hossein Kanani, but Mahrez's attempt was expertly saved by Persepolis goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz.

Toney, a notable signing from Premier League club Brentford, missed a significant chance to score five minutes before the end, dragging his shot wide. He had made his debut for Al Ahli just last Friday.

In a different match, Al Ain commenced their title defense with a 1-1 draw against Al Sadd of Qatar at their home ground. Akram Afif, who was named the 2019 Asian Footballer of the Year and was the standout player at the recent Asian Cup, scored the first goal at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in the 60th minute.

However, Al Ain managed to secure a point with a goal from Argentine Matias Palacios ten minutes before the final whistle. In another match on Monday, Iran's Esteghlal triumphed over Qatari team Al Gharafa with a score of 3-0.

The new tournament format includes 24 teams, divided equally between West Asia and East Asia. Each club will compete in four home matches and four away matches, with the top eight teams from each region advancing to the knockout rounds scheduled for early next year.