Ronaldo’s Absence: Al Nassr Setback as Points Slip Away in Clash Against Istiklol

Al-Nassr were without Cristiano Ronaldo as they dropped two points in their AFC Champions League match against Istikol.

The manager, Luis Castro, opted to rest Ronaldo for their last Group E fixture on Tuesday evening.

However, the Saudi Pro League side was held to a 1-1 draw at the Central Stadium in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

A shocking error from Abdulrahman Ghareeb in midfield allowed the hosts to take the lead just after the half-hour mark.

A careless backpass from the winger was cut off by Alisher Dzhalilov who tried his luck from outside the penalty box and slotted the ball home into the right corner of Raghed Najjar’s net.

Despite the draw, Al-Nassr finished as group leaders with 14 points from their six matches. Hence, they will be in Pot 1 during the Round of 16 draw on December 28.