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Al-Nassr Overcomes a Tough Test Against Esteklal

Saudi club Al-Nassr secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Iranian side Al-Esteklal in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite competition. The match, held at Rashid Stadium in Dubai, was relocated from Tehran due to security concerns.
Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte netted the decisive goal in the 81st minute, lifting Al-Nassr to 7 points in the group, while Esteklal remains with 3 points.
This victory continues Al-Nassr’s perfect run under new head coach Stefano Pioli, who has now guided the team to six consecutive wins (two in the AFC Champions League Elite and four in the Saudi Pro League), since taking over on September 18, replacing Portuguese coach Luís Castro.
Though he did not score, Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo was the standout player for Al-Nassr, constantly testing Esteklal’s goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini, who made numerous critical saves before Laporte finally found the back of the net.
Al-Nassr dominated the match and created multiple chances. In the 18th minute, Senegalese forward Sadio Mané sprinted down the wing before passing to Nawaf Al-Boushal, whose fierce shot was blocked by Hosseini.
The Esteklal goalkeeper continued to frustrate Al-Nassr, saving a shot from Portuguese midfielder Otávio in the 33rd minute.
as well as thwarting a clever backheel pass from Ronaldo to Brazilian Angelo Gabriel just before halftime.
Ronaldo’s backheel pass to Brazilian Angelo Gabriel in the 42nd minute was brilliantly blocked by Hosseini, who continued to showcase his excellent form. The Iranian goalkeeper made another key save in the 71st minute, stopping a shot from Anderson Talisca, followed by a powerful strike from Ronaldo in the 74th minute. Laporte’s header in the 80th minute was cleared off the line by Brazilian defender Rafael Silva, only for Talisca’s follow-up shot to be saved again by Hosseini.

Al-Nassr finally scored in the 81st minute when Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozović delivered a precise corner kick, which Ronaldo headed on target. Hosseini managed to deflect the header, but Laporte capitalized on the rebound, heading the ball into the net to secure the win for Al-Nassr.

Brazilian substitute Wesley Teixeira almost added a second goal in the 87th minute, but his shot struck the post, and the match ended 1-0.
In another Group match, UAE’s Al-Wasl came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Qatar’s Al-Gharafa at Al-Bayt Stadium in Doha. Al-Wasl now sits on 6 points, while Al-Gharafa remains at 3.
Tunisian international Ferjani Sassi opened the scoring for Al-Gharafa with a clinical finish inside the box just before halftime. However, Al-Wasl staged a late comeback, with Fabio Lima equalizing from the penalty spot in the 84th minute after a handball by Al-Gharafa defender Abdullah Youssef.
Nigerian striker Isaac Sykes sealed the win with a close-range finish in the dying moments of the game.
Al-Gharafa coach Pedro Martins expressed his frustration post-match, stating, “The referee’s decision to award the penalty was the turning point in an otherwise balanced game”. He added, “I am not satisfied with the players’ performance because losing at home is unacceptable, but we must regroup and improve.”

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