In the early morning of January 4 (Vietnam time), Al-Nassr visited Esteghlal Tehran in the first leg of the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League round 1.8.
Despite the absence of number one star Cristiano Ronaldo, Al-Nassr's squad is still rated much higher than their opponent. The representative from Saudi Arabia proactively attacked right after the opening whistle.
Just 6 minutes later, Marcelo Brozovic had a shot from outside the penalty area, but the ball did not hit the target. Then, Ayman Yahya tried his luck with a long-range kick from the 8th minute, but the ball went over the bar.
Although Al-Nassr controlled the game and created many dangerous opportunities, Esteghlal was not an easy opponent to defeat. In the 19th minute, they had a remarkable header when Ramin Rezaeian headed the ball strongly, but the ball went over the crossbar.
Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini had an excellent day when he saved the home team in dangerous situations, including a face-off with Jhon Duran in the 21st minute.
Without Ronaldo, the away team's attack lacks the necessary sharpness and cannot take advantage of opportunities despite creating many dangerous situations.
At the end of the match, Esteghlal also created a few dangerous situations. In the 83rd minute, Joel Kojo had a low shot in the penalty area, but goalkeeper Bento had an excellent reflex to save Al Nassr. Despite dramatic late-night plays, the two teams still failed to score, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw.
