Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Ronaldo’s Asian dream dashed as Kawasaki Frontale stun Al-Nassr 3-2 to reach a historic first final

King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah fell silent just ten minutes into the semi-final when Tatsuya Ito—who created nine chances across the tie—hammered a deflected cross past David Ospina with a sumptuous volley. Although Sadio Mané hauled Al-Nassr level on 28 minutes, converting Nawaf Boushal’s low pass for his 17th goal of the season, Kawasaki Frontale never lost their nerve. The four-time J1 League champions, boasting an 83 per cent pass-completion rate on the night, reclaimed the lead on the stroke of half-time through Yuto Ozeki after another Ito solo surge.

Luis Castro’s men dominated possession after the break, yet the visitors struck again: super-sub Akihiro Ienaga finished coolly on 76 minutes from Erison’s cut-back, capping a sequence of 21 uninterrupted Kawasaki passes. Cristiano Ronaldo—97 goals in 108 Al-Nassr outings but only one minor trophy since arriving in January 2023—thumped a header off the bar and bent two late free-kicks centimetres wide. Ayman Yahya’s 88th-minute reply set up a frenetic finale, but goalkeeper Louis Yamaguchi preserved the 3-2 scoreline with a pair of stoppage-time saves.

Kawasaki Frontale will now contest the AFC Champions League Elite final against Al-Ahli on 3 May, while Al-Nassr stare at a second straight season without major silverware ahead of their top-of-the-table Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Ittihad on 7 May.

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