Ronaldo's Al Nassr exit Asian Champions League with penalty shootout against Al Ain

In a thrilling match on Monday, Al Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, suffered a disappointing exit from the Asian Champions League quarter-finals. The Saudi Pro League team was defeated 3-1 on penalties by Al Ain.

Al Nassr managed to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg and emerged victorious with a 4-3 win on Monday. However, with the aggregate score tied at 4-4, the match went into a shootout, which Al Ain ultimately won.

Despite the efforts of Al Nassr's foreign players Miroslav Brozovic, Alex Telles, and Otavio, they were unable to score from the penalty spot. As a result, Al Ain progressed to the semi-finals, where they will face either Al Hilal or Al Ittihad, both from Saudi Arabia, next month.

Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa redeemed himself after a disappointing performance by saving Brozovic's initial penalty. With Soufiane Rahimi, Kaku, and Sultan Al Shamsi successfully converting their penalties, Otavio's miss sealed Al Nassr's elimination.

The shootout marked the thrilling conclusion to a match filled with seven goals and a red card. Al Ain capitalized on their first-leg advantage during the first 45 minutes, with Rahimi scoring in the 28th and 45th minutes. However, Abdulrahman Ghareeb's injury-time goal kept Al Nassr's hopes alive.

In the second half, Otavio's shot was deflected into his own net by Khaled Eisa, equalizing the aggregate score. Alex Telles then leveled the scores 18 minutes before the end with a low free kick that navigated through a crowded penalty area.

Al Nassr's Ayman Yahya was sent off for a dangerous tackle in extra time, and Al-Shamsi thought he had secured the victory when he capitalized on a handling error to score. However, Ronaldo converted a penalty in the final minutes, awarded after being fouled by Saeed Jumaa, taking the match to a shootout.

Ronaldo was the only successful penalty taker for Al Nassr, as Al Ain advanced to the semi-finals for the first time since 2016.

In the other half of the draw, South Korean teams Jeonbuk Motors and Ulsan Hyundai will face each other on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw in their previous match.

Harry Kewell's Yokohama F Marinos team will aim to protect their 2-1 advantage at home against Chinese Super League team Shandong Taishan this Wednesday.