Al Nassr progressed to the AFC Champions League Elite quarter-finals on Monday with a 3-0 second-leg win over Esteghlal, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and a double from Jhon Durán.
Ronaldo, who is the Al Nassr skipper, was said to be omitted from last week’s 0-0 draw in Iran but returned to lead the team at Al Awwal Park.
The Portuguese striker scored from the penalty area in mid-first-half.
Al Nassr, one of three Saudi Arabian teams to sweep the group stage of the West Region, were ahead in Riyadh after nine minutes.
Winter recruit Durán, an English Premier League player for Aston Villa, picked up a loose ball on the right flank of the Esteghlal penalty area and chipped it over goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini.
It was the striker’s first in the competition.
Al Nassr opened the game in their favor by expanding their advantage during the 27th minute after Sadio Mané, who won the UEFA Champions League at Liverpool, attracted a foul from Esteghlal’s Zobeir Niknafs within the penalty box.
Ronaldo tucked the penalty kick nicely into the center of the net, bringing his overall score during this year’s AFC Champions League Elite to seven goals out of six matches.
Portugal star is also the Saudi Pro League’s golden boot of the season with 18 goals.
Esteghlal’s night became even darker just before halftime, when they were reduced to ten men. Mehran Ahmadi inadvertently hit Al Nassr defender Mohammed Al Fatil in the face with a stray arm in trying to protect the ball.
Following a VAR review, the foul was upgraded to yellow card. Ahmadi was sent off as he had already been booked.
Al Nassr came close to scoring a third goal early in the second half. Durán’s shot was saved, then Ayman Yahya’s rebound was cleared off the line.
Durán hit the crossbar a couple of minutes later with an amazing long-range shot.
But the Al Nassr forward was not denied his second, as he subsequently drove a low shot into the near post after being set up by Angelo, who played for Chelsea.
In the other match on Monday, two-time Asian champions Al Sadd advanced to the final eight after beating UAE title holders Al Wasl 4-2 on aggregate.
The visitors, defeated to a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Dubai last week, took an early lead through Fabio Lima.
Al Sadd however responded with three goals in ten minutes just before the half-hour mark, Mostafa Meshaal, Youcef Atal, and reigning Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif all scoring.
