Sun. Dec 22nd, 2024
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Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during his side's defeat
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 43 goals in 51 games for Al-Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr were knocked out of the Asian Champions League in a quarter-final penalty shootout loss to Al-Ain.

Al-Nassr, who trailed 1-0 after the first leg, fell 3-0 down on aggregate but battled back to force extra time.

Ronaldo, who missed a sitter in normal time, then scored an 118th-minute penalty for 10-man Al-Nassr to make it 4-4 on aggregate.

Ronaldo was the only Al-Nassr player to score in the 3-1 shootout defeat.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, 39, had stood in disbelief after somehow missing the target from three yards when the Al Ain goalkeeper spilled a shot into his path with his side 3-2 down on aggregate after the hour mark.

But fellow former Manchester United player Alex Telles scored in the 72nd minute to force extra time for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, who were then reduced to 10-men when Ayman Yahya was dismissed.

Al-Ain, from the United Arab Emirates, went back in front in the first period of extra-time but Ronaldo held his nerve from the penalty spot with two minutes remaining to force a shootout.

Al-Nassr were already 2-0 down in the shootout when Ronaldo stepped up to take his spot-kick – and defeat was confirmed when team-mate Otavio then missed his side’s fourth penalty.

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