Ronaldo and Al Nassr pay penalty as Al Ain secure shoot-out victory in Champions League

Al Ain booked a place in the Asian Champions League semi-finals with an incredible penalty-shoot-out win in a thriller against Al Nassr on Monday night.

The UAE side, the only Emirati club to be crowned continental champions, prevailed 3-1 on spot-kicks after the match in Riyadh had finished 4-3 to Cristiano Ronaldo’s side for the tie to settle at 4-4. Al Ain had won last week’s first leg at home 1-0.

However, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles and Otavio failed to convert their spot-kicks for the visitors at Al Awwal Park to progress to a last-four clash with either Al Hilal or Al Ittihad.

Ronaldo, who had moments before scored from the spot to force the shootout, departed the pitch visibly upset by the result.

Just like seven days previously, Al Ain took a deserved lead. As it was at the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Sofiane Rahimi raced away from the Nassr defence, set clear by Kaku’s sumptuous slide pass, and the Moroccan finished superbly through goalkeeper Raghed Al Najjar’s legs. The goal was initially chalked off, but after a protracted VAR review, the decision was reversed.

Not long after Essa had saved well from Ronaldo’s low shot, Al Ain were two goals to the good. On 45 minutes, Matias Palacious played in Rahimi on the left, with the forward shaping to curl into the far corner before chopping his shot inside Nassr’s near post. It was an expert effort, Rahimi the Saudi side’s bete noire once more.

However, right when the hosts appeared rattled, a reprieve. Essa went chasing Brozovic’s overhit pass to Sadio Mane, following the Senegal striker outside his area and was then left stranded. Mane’s scuffed shot fell right at Abdulrahman Gareeb’s feet, with the Nassr forward slotting home. A lifeline, it arrived in the fifth