NEW DELHI: Cristiano Ronaldo showcased his brilliance by scoring two remarkable goals, helping his Al Nassr team secure a thrilling 4-3 victory over Al Duhail in the AFC Champions League. The Saudi side also saw goals from Sadio Mane and Anderson Talisca, maintaining a perfect record of three wins in the group stage of the premier Asian club competition.
Talisca opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a well-placed shot from outside the box, set up by a clever back-heeled flick from the 38-year-old Ronaldo, who displayed a wide range of skills. Mane added a second goal for Al Nassr 11 minutes into the second half. Ronaldo continued to amaze by curling in a beautiful third goal from long range, making it 3-0 just five minutes later.
However, Al Duhail, led by former Barcelona and Liverpool winger Philippe Coutinho, mounted a comeback with two quick goals from Ismail Mohamad and Almoez Ali, making the scoreline 3-2 and putting the game on edge.
With nine minutes remaining, Ronaldo once again took the spotlight, sprinting onto a long ball and striking a superb left-footed volley without breaking stride, making it 4-2 for Al Nassr. A late goal by Michael Olunga for Al Duhail reduced the deficit to 4-3, setting the stage for a tense final few minutes.
Al Duhail's manager, Christophe Galtier, acknowledged Ronaldo's brilliance, saying, "When you face Ronaldo, there isn't much you can do. He scored two beautiful goals. I'm at a loss for words to describe him. What he did today is extraordinary for a 38-year-old. He's still the best player in the world."
In another match, Al Hilal, despite the absence of injured superstar Neymar, secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Mumbai City, with two goals from former Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
In the East zone, defending champions Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan suffered a 2-0 home defeat to South Korea's Pohang Steelers, who scored on either side of halftime through Jeong Jae-hee and Goh Young-jun. Urawa now faces a challenge to qualify for the knockout stages, having collected only four points from their three Group J games, level with China's Wuhan Three Towns, who won 2-1 against Hanoi FC for their first victory.
Kawasaki Frontale of Japan continued their strong performance, securing a 4-2 away win against Thailand's BG Pathum United, extending their lead at the top of Group I in the East zone by three points over South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai.
(With AFP inputs)
