Al Nassr Advance to ACL Quarter-Finals Without Cristiano Ronaldo, List of 8 Teams in ACL East
Source: Antaranews/x.com/TheAFCCL
Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League II after eliminating Arkadag in the Round of 16. Alongside Al Nassr, Japanese representatives Gamba Osaka also booked their quarter-final ticket.
Playing at Al Awwal Park Stadium, Riyadh on Thursday, Al Nassr demonstrated their efficiency across both legs despite Cristiano Ronaldo's absence.
The Saudi club secured a narrow 1-0 second-leg victory, sealing a 2-0 aggregate win and keeping their continental title hopes alive this season.
READ ALSO
Saudi Arabia Prepares New Role for Cristiano Ronaldo After Retirement
Ronaldo tops Saudi Pro League, ex-Liverpool striker among top 10 highest-paid players.
Ronaldo absent from Al Nassr squad, dissatisfaction issue with PIF transfer policy surfaces.
Abdulrahman Ghareeb's solitary goal proved decisive in a tightly contested match. Arkadag finished with 10 men after Annaguliyev Guychmyrat received a red card.
This situation made Al Nassr's mounting pressure increasingly difficult to contain during the remaining match time.
Al Nassr had previously claimed a 1-0 away victory in Ashgabat during the first leg. Consistency across both encounters ensured the Cristiano Ronaldo-associated club advanced firmly to the last eight.
Meanwhile, Gamba Osaka reached the quarter-finals after defeating Pohang Steelers 2-1 in their second leg at Suita City Stadium on Thursday.
The Japanese side's victory came through goals by Deniz Hummet and Ryoya Yamashita, with Pohang Steelers only managing a consolation goal via Kento Nishiya.
Osaka progressed 3-2 on aggregate following a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Pohang.
Joining Al Nassr and Gamba Osaka in the quarter-finals are six other teams: Al Hussein, Al Wasl, Al Ahli, Ratchaburi FC, Tampines Rovers, and Bangkok United.
With an increasingly competitive final eight lineup, focus now shifts to Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo's prospects of leading his club deeper into this season's AFC Champions League II.
Complete AFC Champions League Two Second Leg Results
Al Wasl 4 - 2 Al Zawraa (6-5 agg)
Al Hussein 3 - 2 Esteghlal FC (4-2 agg)
Persib Bandung 1 - 0 Ratchaburi FC (1-3 agg)
Tampines Rovers 3 - 1 CAHN (6-1 agg)
Al Ahli 1 - 0 Sepahan (3-2 agg)
Al Nassr 1 - 0 Arkadag (2-0 agg)
Macarthur 2 - 2 Bangkok United (2-4 agg)
Gamba Osaka 2 - 1 Pohang Steelers (3-2 agg).
