Ronaldo puts Al-Nassr on brink of Asian CL playoffs while Toney advances Al-Ahli
AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia defeated Al-Gharafa of Qatar 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite group stage on Monday.
Al-Nassr is virtually assured of a place in the knockout stages.
Ronaldo had two early shots well saved by goalkeeper Sergio Ricom, and half an hour in he placed the ball on the penalty spot. Sadio Mane went down in the area under a challenge from Matias Nani and the referee awarded a penalty. But the VAR overturned the decision.
Ronaldo then missed the best opportunity of the first 45 minutes, heading a free kick just wide from close range.
He made amends in the new half, heading home powerfully from an Angelo cross. Angelo then went around the goalkeeper for 2-0 in the 58th.
Ronaldo sealed the victory six minutes later, shooting home from inside the area.
Former Real Madrid striker Joselu pulled a goal back for Al-Gharafa.
Earlier, Ivan Toney scored twice as Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia won at defending champion Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates 2-1 to become the first team to book a place in the knockout stages with three group games to spare.
The England striker, who arrived in Jeddah from English Premier League team Brentford in August, came off the bench in the second half and scored twice in four minutes.
Both came from Riyad Mahrez crosses; Toney headed home the first and stretched to guide in the second.
“Coach (Matthias) Jaissle told me to come on and make a difference,” Toney said. “It was challenging because I’ve missed many games, but I stepped in and delivered a good performance.”
It was a fifth win in five by Al-Ahli, which moved into first place in its 12-team group. The tournament is divided into two groups, with the top eight from each progressing to a round of 16.
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