Aymeric Laporte’s 81st-minute header secured Al-Nassr a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Esteghlal in Dubai, keeping the Saudi side’s perfect AFC Champions League Elite campaign on track. The narrow win pushes Al-Nassr to seven points from three matches, leaving them in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages.
Despite Al-Nassr’s attacking dominance throughout the match, Esteghlal’s defense, anchored by goalkeeper Seyed Hossein Hosseini, held firm until the closing stages. Hosseini managed to parry Cristiano Ronaldo’s header, but Laporte was quick to react, rising to nod in the rebound and break the deadlock.
The game was played in Dubai due to security concerns in Iran, but Esteghlal put up a spirited fight, frustrating Al-Nassr’s attack for most of the match. Ronaldo and his teammates created numerous chances, but the Iranian side’s organized defense kept the scoreline level until Laporte’s crucial strike.
The victory leaves Al-Nassr in a strong second position in their group, just behind fellow Saudi clubs Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli, who top the table with nine points. Elsewhere, Al-Wasl of the UAE claimed a 2-1 comeback win over Qatar’s Al Gharafa, with a stoppage-time goal from Isaac Success securing the three points.
Al-Nassr now look well-placed to secure a spot in the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League Elite, with the top eight teams from the 12-team leagues in both east and west Asia advancing. The round of 16 will begin in March, followed by one-off matches for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final in Saudi Arabia next April and May.
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