{"id":29525,"date":"2023-11-29T04:45:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T04:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/ronaldos-selfless-act-as-al-nassr-seal-knockout-spot-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T04:45:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T04:45:06","slug":"ronaldos-selfless-act-as-al-nassr-seal-knockout-spot-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/ronaldos-selfless-act-as-al-nassr-seal-knockout-spot-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Ronaldo\u2019s selfless act as Al Nassr seal knockout spot | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nRIYADH:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cristiano Ronaldo<\/a> convinced the referee to change his mind after awarding him a penalty in Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League 0-0 draw with Iran’s Persepolis.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid great appeared to have been brought down by Soroush Rafiei inside the box and Chinese referee Ma Ning pointed to the spot.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo leapt to his feet and approached the referee, wagging his finger, shaking his head and telling him there had been no foul.<\/p>\n

After consulting VAR, the referee was sent to the pitch-side monitor and reversed his decision in the Group E clash in Riyadh.<\/p>\n

The Saudi Pro League side had to play most of the match with 10 men after Ali Lajami was given a straight red card for a shin-raking challenge in the 17th minute.<\/p>\n

They also lost Ronaldo to a neck injury with 13 minutes remaining, caused by Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand landing on the Portuguese star when claiming a high ball.<\/p>\n

But the 2018 and 2020 Champions League runners-up from Iran were unable to capitalise, the point proving enough for Al Nassr<\/a> to seal their place in the knockout stages as group winners.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo has little time to recover with Al Nassr facing Al Hilal on Friday in a top-of-the-table league clash.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabian champions Al Ittihad are two points clear at the top of Group C after a 2-1 win at Uzbekistan’s AGMK FC.<\/p>\n

Moroccan Abderrazak Hamdallah scored twice in four first-half minutes before Martin Boakye pulled one back for the hosts with 12 minutes remaining.<\/p>\n

Two-time winners Al Ittihad, under new manager Marcelo Gallardo, need to avoid defeat at home to second-placed Sepahan in the final round of matches next week to go through as group winners.<\/p>\n

The Iranian side defeated Iraq’s Air Force Club 1-0 at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, despite having two players sent off.<\/p>\n

Sepahan’s Farshad Ahmadzadeh scored the only goal from close range in the fourth minute before Mohammad Hosseinnezhad was sent off just before half-time.<\/p>\n

Hadi Mohammadi was then red-carded on 90 minutes forcing Sepahan to hold out with nine men for 12 minutes of added time under an Air Force bombardment to secure the three points.<\/p>\n

Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi moved top of Group B with a 3-1 win at home to Jordan’s Al Faisaly, and Qatari side Al Sadd kept their hopes alive by beating Sharjah 2-0 in the UAE.<\/p>\n

Nasaf are top on 10 points ahead of their final match against Al Sadd, who are third on seven points with Sharjah, who face a trip to Al Faisaly, second on eight.<\/p>\n

The group stage this year returned to a home-and-away group format for the first time since 2020 and expanded to 40 teams.<\/p>\n

It rounds off in the West Zone next week with the five winners from Groups A to E and three best runners-up going through to the last 16 in February.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday and Wednesday the final two rounds of East Zone matches kick off to decide the other eight teams in the last 16 from Groups F to J.<\/p>\n

The quarter-finals will be played in March, the semi-finals in April, with the two-legged final in May.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n