It’s one big chance for Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo to obtain a legacy for the club. Despite winning nine Saudi Pro League titles, the club from Riyadh has still not been able to win the AFC Champions League even once. After going blank in the last leg against Al Ain, Ronaldo, in his press conference, has now assured fans of a semifinal birth by saying, “We have the spirit, and tomorrow we will do the remontada and win Al Ain. I am sure we will reach the semi-finals.” Nevertheless, with the current Al Ain side, the task can be uphill. In the build-up to the clash tomorrow, let’s look at how both teams could face off against each other in terms of lineups, injuries, etc.
Al Ain, on the other hand, is coming off a 1-0 win in their previous clash. Trying to get on Ronaldo’s nerves by chanting Messi’s name, the UAE club managed to sneak through, but the next challenge will be tough for the winners of the first edition.
Al Nassr vs. Al Ain: All you need to know
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Injury and suspensions
Al Nassr
Luis Castro’s side has not seen any new injuries since their previous tie. Nevertheless, it will miss the deadly combination of Anderson Talisca and CR7, as the Brazilian sustained a thigh injury. Additionally, the club has lost two goalkeepers, Raghed Al-Najjar and Waleed Abdullah, with calf and muscle injuries, respectively. Moreover, star defender Aymeric Laporte will miss the contest after getting a red card in the injury time of the last leg, and the team could go with Sami Al-Najei.
Al Ain
There are no reports of injuries or suspensions for Al Ain.
Expected Lineups
Al Nassr predicted XI: David Ospina; Sultan Al Ghannam; Ali Lajami; Aziz Behich; Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhim; Abdullah Al-Khaibari; Ayman Yahya; Sadio Mane; Otavio; Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al Ain predicted XI: Bandar Al-Ahbabi, Khalid Hashemi, Kouame Autonne Kouadio, Alejandro Romero, Mohamed Abbas, Yong-woo Park, Erik Menezes, Yahia Nader, Matías Palacios, and Soufiane Rahimi.
Head to Head
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This is the fourth meeting between the sides. Before the previous game, it was all balanced, as each of them won a piece of the game in their earlier encounters. But Al Nassr is now in a deficit after losing the last game away. Currently, it’s 2-1 for Al Ain.
How to watch the second leg of the AFC Champions League match between Al Nassr and Al Ain on TV and streaming
The encounter will take place at Al Awal Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2024, at 1400 hrs ET and 1100 hrs PT. The streaming will be live on Paramount+, and fans can watch it on TV via the CBS network.
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Al Ain might have gotten the victory last time despite not having much possession and playing at home. Contrarily, Ronaldo has challenged them to repeat it at Riyadh. With everything at stake for the Knight of Najd, the battle is expected to be mouthwatering.