On Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, celebrated a winning debut in the Asian Champions League as he allowed Al Nassr to a 2-0 win against 10-man Persepolis in Iran.
Ronaldo, who has five UEFA Champions League titles in his career, led the Saudi Arabian side to an opening three points in Group E.
The game at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran was played without fans after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held a one-game ban for Persepolis backers dating back to 2021.
That allowed Al Nassr, who held both goals in the second half against the two-time runners-up, through a Danial Esmaeilifar own goal and a good strike by defender Mohammed Qassem.
The following match marked the first time a Saudi club played in Iran since 2016 after the AFC announced a “ground-breaking agreement” earlier this month between the two nations’ federations.
Riyadh and Tehran severed diplomatic relations seven years ago, suggesting Asian Champions League matches had been since played at neutral grounds.
Ronaldo was heavily involved throughout, twice moving near in the first half.
His initial chance was sent directly at Persepolis goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand which left Ronaldo smashing the post in frustration.
Al Nassr’s expectancies increased greatly at the start of the second half when Persepolis midfielder Milad Sarlak was given a second yellow card, this time for seeming to stamp on Ronaldo’s boot.
Replays revealed it was unwilling, the contact minimal.
Ronaldo played a significant role in Al Nassr’s opener just after the hour, the Portuguese instigating the move that led to Abdulrahman Ghareeb’s stopped shot cannoning off Persepolis full-back Esmaeilifar and nestling in the net.
Ten minutes later, Al Nassr left-back Mohammed Qassem broke down the left and hit his shot high past Beiranvand to double the travelers’ benefit and secure the points.
