The Saudi Pro League side came from behind to triumph 4-2 in the play-off at Mrsool Park, with Brazilian Anderson Talisca scoring twice and Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic rounding off the win.
Al Nassr, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, qualified for the Asian Champions League group stage with an injury-time victory over Shabab Al Ahli in Riyadh on Tuesday. The Saudi Pro League team came from behind to win the play-off 4-2 at Mrsool Park, with Brazilian Anderson Talisca scoring twice and Croatia international Marcelo Brozovic completing the scoring.
Nassr was within two minutes away from being eliminated from the tournament. Nassr, who finished second in the domestic league last season, will now go to the group round, which begins next month. Ronaldo, a five-time UEFA Champions League winner, was making his debut in Asian football’s highest club competition after joining the Riyadh club in December.
Taslica headed home a Brozovic corner to give Nassr the lead after 11 minutes. Seven minutes later, Yahya Al Ghassani equalized for UAE champions Shabab Al Ahli, putting the ball into the Nassr net as the Dubai side countered.
Ronaldo, 38, appeared to be furious as he exited the field at halftime and was spotted shouting with the referee. The Nassr captain, the Portuguese star, believes he should have got two penalties in the first half.
Then, one minute after halftime, Al Ghassani burst through the Nassr defense, flicking the ball over Nawaf Al Aqidi and putting Shabab Al Ahli ahead.
However, Nassr equalized with two minutes remaining in normal time when Walid Abbas redirected full-back Sultan Al Ghannam’s header into his own goal.
Talisca nodded home from close range to seal Nassr’s comeback five minutes into the allotted seven minutes of injury time. As Shabab Al Ahli sought an equalizer, Ronaldo set up Brozovic, who drilled his shot into the net to seal the game.
In the other play-off on Tuesday, AGMK Olmaliq of Uzbekistan defeated Qatar’s Al Arabi 1-0.
Ratnavali