Last Updated: November 28, 2023, 02:30 IST
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Cristiano Ronaldo’s honesty helped to nullify a penalty he was awarded as his 10-man Al-Nassr facet held on to attract with Persepolis of Iran 0-0 within the Asian Champions League on Monday.
Ronaldo went down within the field within the opening moments and the referee pointed to the spot, however Ronaldo joined Persepolis gamers in disputing the penalty. Referee Ma Ning checked the pitchside monitor and overturned his choice.
Al-Nassr defender Ali Lajimi was despatched off within the half for a harmful problem on Milad Sarlak, and Ronaldo gave his Saudi Arabia workforce a late scare when he exited with a neck damage.
But Al-Nassr had already certified for the knockout levels because the Group E winner and superior unbeaten. The Riyadh workforce got here into the sport having received 18 of its earlier 19 video games in all competitions.
In the identical group, Qatar’s Al-Duhail earned its first win after defeating Istiklol of Tajikistan 2-0. Prolific Kenyan striker Michael Olunga scored each objectives.
Earlier in Group C, Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo picked up his first win since being appointed by Al-Ittihad this month after the Saudi Arabian champion defeated AGMK of Uzbekistan 2-1 to maneuver into the knockout levels.
Two objectives in 4 first-half minutes from Moroccan striker Abderrazak Hamdallah gave Al-Ittihad the lead after Karim Benzema missed possibilities.
Late within the sport in Tashkent, Martin Boakye pulled a aim again for AGMK.
“We had to work hard from the first whistle but we kept trying to get forward as much as we could and Hamdallah came good with two well-taken goals,” Gallardo mentioned.
The prime workforce from every of the ten teams of 4 within the match, which is split into two geographic halves till the ultimate, advances to the spherical of 16 together with the six finest-positioned runners-up.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
