Cristiano Ronaldo's side reach the Asian Champions League group stage in dramatic fashion by scoring three last-gasp goals in their qualifying tie.
2023/2024 AFC Champions League
4-2
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Talisca's shot too straight
11' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 1-0 Shabab Al Ahli (Talisca)
18' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 1-1 Shabab Al Ahli (Yahya Alghassani)
20' Ronaldo’s shot wide out
45' Ronaldo shouted handball but ref said no penalty
46' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 1-2 Shabab Al Ahli (Yahya Alghassani)
56' Yellow Card! Yahya Alghassani booked
88' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 2-2 Shabab Al Ahli (Sultan Al-Ghannam)
95' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 3-2 Shabab Al Ahli (Talisca)
97' GOAL! Al Nassr FC 4-2 Shabab Al Ahli (Brozovic)
Match Report
Cristiano Ronaldo will line-up in the Asian Champions League proper after Al-Nassr secured a remarkable turnaround to beat UAE outfit Shabab Al-Ahli 4-2 in their qualifying tie.
Despite finishing second in the Saudi Pro League last season, Al-Nassr didn't receive one of the divisions three spots to go direct into the group stage of the continental competition - missing out to Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Fayha.
They faced Shabab Al-Ahli, who won the league title in the UAE and had overcome Al-Wehdat from Jordan in the previous qualifying round.
Al-Nassr began the clash at Al-Awwal Park well, with Anderson Talisca opening the scoring after just 11 minutes when he was set up by new recruit Marcelo Brozovic.
However, despite dominating the clash with 73 per cent of possession, they soon found themselves behind, with two goals from Yahya Alghassani either side of half-time putting the visitors ahead.
Ronaldo appeared to be visibly frustrated at times during the clash as he was seen remonstrating with the officials after having a penalty appeal down.
It looked like the Portuguese superstar would be absent from the Champions League this season with his side still trailing after 88 minutes, but team-mate Sultan Al-Ghannam equalised in dramatic fashion to keep his side's hopes alive.
The game headed into seven minutes of injury time and it looked like extra-time would be on the cards, before Brazilian midfielder Talisca scored again after 95 minutes to edge Al-Nassr ahead.
Brozovic then added the cherry on top, with Ronaldo teeing up the Croatian two minutes after Talisca's finish to send the homes fans into raptures and his side into the group stage.
The result was a huge relief for Luis Castro's outfit who have endured a disastrous start to the campaign.
Ronaldo and Co have begun the league season with two defeats - to Al-Ettifaq and Al-Taawoun - and are one of four teams still to pick up a point, despite significant investment over the summer that has seen the likes of Sadio Mane, Brozovic, Otavio, Alex Telles and Seko Fofana arrive.
They will now eagerly await the Champions League group stage draw and hope this result kickstarts their league form.
Line-ups
Al Nassr FC XI: Ronaldo, Brozovic, Mohammed Al-Fatil, Mane, Talisca, Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem, Sultan Al-Ghannam, Ghislain Konan, Abdullah Alkhaibari, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Nawaf Al-Aqidi
Subs: Waleed Abdullah, Mohammed Qasem, Mukhtar Ali, Sami Al-Najei, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Abdulfattah Adam, Ali Al-Hassan, Khalid Al-Ghannam, Nawaf Al-Boushal, Ayman Yahya, Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa, Meshari Al Nemer
Shabab Al Ahli XI: Majed Naser, Walid Abbas, Milivojevic, Dabour, Bogdan Planic, Aziz Ganiev, Yahya Alghassani, Saeed Suleiman Salem, Renan, Igor Jesus, Harib Suhail
Subs: Yousef Jaber, Abdulaziz Hussain, Mohammed Marzooq, Salmin Khamis, Tariq Ahmed, Hassan Hamza, Abdalla Al Naqbi, Jamal Al-Hosani, Mohammed Jumaa, Eid Khamis Al-Nuaimi, Marwan Fahad, Sultan Ali Mohamed