Cristiano Ronaldo’s AFC Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread as Al Nassr head into the second leg of their quarterfinal clash against Al Ain.
The Abu Dhabi outfit claimed a slender 1-0 advantage in last week’s initial encounter thanks to a goal just before halftime from Moroccan forward Soufiane Rahimi.
Al Nassr need to snap a three-match winless run across all competitions, having lost 3-1 to Al Raed at the weekend when Ronaldo returned from a domestic suspension.
That result means Al Nassr are 12 points shy of runaway leaders Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League with 11 games remaining, adding even more weight to the need for Luis Castro’s men to get the job done tonight.
Whoever progresses to the semifinals, they will face the winner of the tie between domestic rivals Al Hilal and Al Ittihad. That tie will be played across two legs, both of which will take place in April.
The Sporting News is following Al Nassr vs. Al Ain live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
MORE: Where to watch Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr vs Al Ain
Al Nassr vs Al Ain live score
| 1st Half | Goalscorers | |
| Al Nassr | — | |
| Al Ain | — |
Lineups:
Al Nassr (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ospina (GK) — Lajami, Al Amri, Al-Fatil, Telles — Al Khaibari, Brozovic — Ghareeb, Otavio, Mane — Ronaldo.
Al Ain (4-2-3-1, right to left): Eisa (GK) — Al-Ahbabi, Al-Hashemi, Koumare, Erik — Park, Al Baloushi — Palacios Nader, Rahimi — Romero.
MORE: AFC Champions League 2023/24: Fixtures, results, schedule, teams, prize money
Al Nassr vs Al Ain live updates, highlights, and commentary
45 mins before kickoff: This is the Al Ain XI.
Our Starting XI for today’s Match #alainclub #ACL @alainfcae pic.twitter.com/Q8SZtU92RL
— Al Ain FC (@alainfcae_en) March 11, 2024
1 hour before kickoff: The teams are in. Here’s how the hosts shape up.
🗒 || Starting lineup,@AlNassrFC vs #AlAin pic.twitter.com/2DbWJPrfYK
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 11, 2024
1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: It’s safe to say there are a few storm clouds brewing around Al Nassr. It’s certainly not been the sunshine and roses that Ronaldo’s first full season was supposed to herald. They’re on a three-match winless run across all competitions. Another of their marquee signings, Aymeric Laporte, will miss this second leg after being sent off during the initial loss to Al Ain. Ronaldo’s return from his own domestic ban couldn’t avert a 3-1 loss to Al Raed at the weekend, meaning it will need a collapse of epic proportions for Al Hilal not to waltz off with the Saudi Pro League title. All things considered, this is a season-defining night for Al Nassr.
2 hours before kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of Al Nassr vs. Al Ain in the AFC Champions League. Can Cristiano Ronaldo and co. overcome a 1-0 first-leg deficit and book their place in the semifinals?
To the victory nothing else, 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐚’𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 🙌#YallaNassrawi 👊 pic.twitter.com/4ZimL3lely
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) March 10, 2024
Al Nassr vs Al Ain kick off time
This AFC Champions League clash takes place at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and kicks off on Monday, March 11 at 9 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Mon, Mar. 11 | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| Canada | Mon, Mar. 11 | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| UK | Mon, Mar. 11 |
7:00 p.m. GMT
|
| Australia | Tue, Mar. 12 | 6:00 a.m. AEST |
| India | Tue, Mar. 12 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
Al Nassr vs Al Ain lineups, team news
Luis Castro will look to rotate his starting team with Otavio and Talisca set to come back into the starting XI. Aymeric Laporte is suspended after being sent off in the first leg.
Al Nassr lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Ospina (GK) — Lajami, Al Amri, Al-Fatil, Telles — Al Khaibari, Brozovic — Ghareeb, Otavio, Mane — Ronaldo.
Al Nassr subs: Afandy (GK), Al-Sulayhim, Bu-Washl, Al-Naji, Al-Hassan, Yahya, Qasem, Al-Nemer, Al-Otaibi, Al-Elewai, Tambakti
Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain are currently second in the UAE Pro League. Striker Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba is the main threat with six AFC Champions League goals already this season.
Al Ain lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Eisa (GK) — Al-Ahbabi, Al-Hashemi, Koumare, Erik — Park, M. Al Baloushi — Palacios Nader, Rahimi — Romero.
Al Ain subs: Bu-Sanda, Al-Mantheri, Barman, Al-Baloushi, Waleed, Al-Shamsi, Hazem, K. Al-Baloushi, Jumaa, Saeed.
Al Nassr vs Al Ain live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch the AFC Champions League group match in selected areas of the world’s major regions:
USA: This game is available to stream on Paramount+. New users can currently get a FREE 30-day trial by entering discount code ‘GOAT’ at checkout.
Australia: Paramount+ also has the rights to all Ronaldo’s AFC Champions League outings in Australia.
UK: The AFC Champions League can be streamed live in the United Kingdom via TrillerTV.
MORE: How to watch Saudi Pro League in USA | How to watch in UK
