Cristiano Ronaldo returns to action following his suspension as Al Nassr face Al Ain in the AFC Champions League.
CR7 is back following his one-game ban, handed down by the Saudi Arabian FA after he performed an “obscene gesture” towards Al Shabab fans last week.
Ronaldo scored his 22nd goal of the season but was then taunted by rival fans with Lionel Messi chants. He retaliated, and was subsequently punished for his actions.
He returns to the team with his side in the quarterfinals and will be looking to get them back to winning ways, after they drew 4-4 against Al Hazm in the Saudi Pro League without him last week.
The Sporting News is following Al Nassr vs Al Ain live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen. Check back here for updates.
WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo in AFC Champions League action
Al Nassr vs Al Ain live score
1st Half Goalscorers Al Nassr 0 Al Ain 1 Rahimi 44′
Starting lineups:
Al Nassr lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ospina (GK) — Aziz, Lajami, Laporte, Sultan — Al Khaibari, Al Sulaiheem, Otavio — Mane, Ronaldo, Ayman.
Al Ain lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Eissa (GK) — Al Ahbabi, Erik, Hashemi, Autonne — Kaku, Palacios — Al Baloushi, Nader, Yong-Woo Park — Rahimi.
Al Nassr vs Al Ain live updates, highlights, and commentary
44th minute: GOAL! Rahimi opens the scoring for Al Ain! What a move that was and it’s a neat finish to top it off. Kaku’s slick through ball is controlled brilliantly by the Moroccan forward and he takes the ball around Ospina before passing into an empty net.
Goal for @alainfcae.. @SoufianeRahimi2 #alainclub pic.twitter.com/z6qXfylHKW
— Al Ain FC (@alainfcae_en) March 4, 2024
34th minute: Mane and Ronaldo combine beautifully up top but Al Ain defends well and clears the danger.
29th minute: NO GOAL! The long ball from Eissa to Rahimi is the infringement. Al Nassr get away with one there…
28th minute: GOAL! 1-0 to Al Ain! Kaku’s tucked finish beats Ospina and the home fans go wild! VAR are checking for an offside in the build-up…
23rd minute: Palacios’ inswinging corner almost gets the better of Ospina and the referee awards a free-kick albeit a very soft one.
21st minute: Ayman tries to catch Eissa off guard with a quick snapshot from the right but it’s well wide. Al Ain were caught sleeping defensively.
15th minute: Al Ahbabi is given a yellow card for wiping out Mane down the left flank.
10th minute: Ronaldo’s trickery causes him to get the ball stuck under his feet but Palacios wipes him out as he tries to recover it. Free-kick to Al Nassr.
5th minute: Ronaldo’s overhead kick is wide, he maybe had more time than he first thought.
1st minute: We’re underway in Abu Dhabi!
Our Fans at @HBZstadium 🥰 #alainclub @alainfcae pic.twitter.com/llMRebKBAZ
— Al Ain FC (@alainfcae_en) March 4, 2024
10 mins before kickoff: Kickoff is rapidly approaching and the atmosphere is building nicely in Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium.
30 mins before kickoff: Both sides come into this clash in good form. The hosts Al Ain haven’t lost in seven games, whereas Ronaldo’s men are undefeated in their last five.
1 hour before kickoff: The away side have arrived…
Hazza bin Zayed Stadium 🏟️ 📍 pic.twitter.com/HLmwJr92us
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 4, 2024
1 hour 30 mins before kickoff: The hype around this match has been real. It’s a sellout crowd at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi!
AlNassr in UAE 💛 pic.twitter.com/VjzDKC8x07
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 4, 2024
2 hours before kickoff: Welcome to today’s live blog! We’ll be bringing you live updates throughout the match, including team news as we get it, as Ronaldo returns to action for this AFC Champions League quarterfinal. Stay tuned.
AFC Champions League Quarterfinals Mode 🔛 pic.twitter.com/ZiwTOPFL3M
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 3, 2024
Al Nassr vs Al Ain kick-off time
This AFC Champions League clash takes place at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE and kicks off on Monday, March 4 at 9 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
Date Kickoff time USA Mon, Mar. 4 11:00 a.m. ET Canada Mon, Mar. 4 11:00 a.m. ET U.K. Mon, Mar. 4 4:00 p.m. GMT Australia Tue, Mar. 5 3:00 a.m. AEST India Mon, Mar. 4 9:30 p.m. IST
Al Nassr vs Al Ain lineups, team news
Ronaldo is expected to come straight back into the Al Nassr starting line up, with Sami Al-Najei set to make way for the Portuguese veteran.
Al Nassr lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Abdullah (GK) — Boushal, Al Amri, Laporte, Telles — Al Khaibari, Brozovic — Talisca, Otavio, Mane — Ronaldo.
Al Nassr subs: TBC
Al Ain are currently second in the UAE Pro League, but their most famous name is manager Hernan Crespo. Togolese international Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba is the main threat in attack with six AFC Champions League goals already this season.
Al Ain lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Eisa (GK) — Traore, Al-Hashemi, Koumare, Erik — Park, Al Baloushi — Atzili, Romero, Al-Shamsi — Laba.
Al Ain subs: TBC
Al Nassr vs Al Ain live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch the AFC Champions League group match in selected areas of the world’s major regions:
USA: This game is available to stream on Paramount+. New users can currently get a FREE 30-day trial by entering discount code ‘GOAT’ at checkout.
Australia: Paramount+ also has the rights to all Ronaldo’s AFC Champions League outings in Australia.
U.K.: The AFC Champions League can be streamed live in the United Kingdom via TrillerTV.
India: FanCode has the rights to broadcast the AFC Champions League in India.
MORE: How to watch Saudi Pro League in USA | How to watch in UK
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