Analysis of Al Nassr’s 1-0 victory over Al Fayha (Feb 14, 2024)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal of 2024 to lead Al Nassr to a 1-0 win over Al Fayha in the first leg of the Asian Champions League’s round of 16 on Wednesday. The 39-year-old forward ended a frustrating evening for his team when he volleyed in a lofted pass from Marcelo Brozovic in the 81st minute to secure victory.

The teams are set to meet in the second leg in Riyadh next Wednesday, with a quarterfinal spot on the line. This win gives Al Nassr a good chance at advancing to the next stage of the tournament.

Ronaldo had several chances throughout the game, including a shot that was saved by Al Fayha’s goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic in the first half. Despite the missed opportunities, Ronaldo continued to press forward and was finally rewarded with his goal in the 81st minute.

The victory for Al Nassr was a hard-fought one, as both teams struggled to find a breakthrough in the match. Stojkovic made several key saves, including a push to safety of a 64th-minute header from Ronaldo and a narrowly missed overhead kick from Anderson Talisca.

Elsewhere in the tournament, Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates shared a 0-0 draw with Uzbekistan’s Nasaf, while Yokohama F. Marinos and Bangkok United played to a 2-2 draw, with Mahmoud Eid’s stoppage-time header earning the hosts a draw.

Australian Harry Kewell, coaching Yokohama F. Marinos, was denied a winning start as goals from Elber and Kota Watanabe gave Marinos a two-goal cushion, but Bangkok United fought back to secure a draw. Additionally, Jeonbuk Hyundai gained a 2-0 advantage in their all-South Korean battle with Pohang Steelers.

On Tuesday, Kawasaki Frontale earned a 3-2 win over Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan to take a narrow lead into the second leg in Japan.

The second leg matches, set for next week, are expected to ratchet up the intensity as teams vie for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Information from Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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