Al-Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo remain without an international title. In the semifinals of the Asian Champions League, the team led by the Portuguese superstar lost narrowly to Kawasaki Frontale 2-3.
Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait longer for his first major title with Al-Nassr. The team was favored going into the match at their home stadium, Al Inma Bank Stadium, against Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale. However, the visitors, led by former HSV and Magdeburg pro Tatsuya Ito, prevailed 3-2.
CR7, who played the entire game, failed to score and wrote on X afterwards: “Sometimes the dream has to wait. I am proud of this team and everything we gave on the pitch.”
Apart from hitting the crossbar in the 40th minute, the 40-year-old Portuguese player did not achieve much in the first half, unlike Ito. The former Bundesliga player (20 games, no goals) beat Bento in the hosts’ goal in the 10th minute. Shortly after the equalizer, the Japanese player also set up Tuto Ozeki to restore the lead in the 41st minute.
Former Bayern pro Sadio Mané had previously equalized for coach Stefano Pioli’s team (28th minute), so the score was 1-2 at halftime.
Cristiano Ronaldo misses equalizer
But the defense of the four-time J-League champions coached by Shigetoshi Hasebe remained solid in the second half. Instead, the defense around former Leipzig player Mohamed Simakan conceded the 3-1 for Kawasaki after the break when veteran Akihiro Ienaga made it 3-1 (76′).
Substitute Ayman Yahya Salem made it 2-3 in the final minute, almost setting up a dramatic equaliser, but Cristiano Ronaldo ultimately squandered his best chance of the game. In stoppage time, the Portuguese superstar failed to connect properly with the ball when he was free in front of goal. This means that the star striker’s only title with Al-Nassr will remain the Arab Club Champions Cup 2023.
Kawasaki Frontale will face Al-Ahli, the next representative from Saudi Arabia, in the final in Jeddah on Saturday (6:30 p.m.). The team led by German coach Matthias Jaissle previously defeated record winners Al-Hilal 3-1 with a goal from former Hoffenheim player Roberto Firmino.
