RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored and Al-Nassr was still ousted from the Asian Champions League quarterfinals on Monday.
Al-Nassr responded to a 1-0 first-leg defeat against Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates by winning the return match 4-3 in Riyadh. But it lost the penalty shootout 3-1. Ronaldo was the only home player to score in the shootout.
The 39-year-old Ronaldo did miss several chances in regulation, and shook his head in disbelief in the second half when he missed the target from just two meters out with Al-Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa on the ground.
Soufiane Rahimi, the only goal-scorer from the first leg, was much more clinical on Monday. The Moroccan scored twice in the first half to give one-time champion Al-Ain a 3-0 advantage overall.
Just before the break, however, Abdulrahman Ghareeb pulled one back for Al-Nassr, and just after, an own goal from Eisa made it 2-2 on the night.
With 18 minutes of normal time remaining, former Manchester United defender Alex Telles scored for Al-Nassr to force the game into extra time.
Al-Ain restored its lead through Sultan Al Shamsi, but with 118 minutes on the clock, Ronaldo scored from the spot to level the tie 4-4 on aggregate. In the shootout, Ronaldo found the net while Marcelo Brozovic, Telles and Otavio all failed.
Al-Ain will face more Saudi Arabian opposition in the last four. Four-time champion Al-Hilal carries a 2-0 lead against two-time champ Al-Ittihad into their quarterfinal second leg on Tuesday.
In the eastern zone, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Ulsan HD meet on Tuesday. The South Koreans teams are 1-1 after the first leg. Yokohama F.Marinios of Japan has a 2-1 advantage over China’s Shandong Taishan in the other quarter.
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