AFC Champions League: Cristiano Ronaldo strikes as Al Nassr thrashes holder Al-Ain 5-1

Cristiano Ronaldo helped fire Al Nassr to a crushing 5-1 victory against reigning Asian champions Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite on Tuesday.

The Portuguese star, without a goal in his past three appearances for the Saudi Arabian side, netted the second of the hosts’ goals at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh.

Right on the half hour, Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Essa failed to hold a routine long-range drive from former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, leaving Ronaldo to pounce on the rebound to tap home.

The win maintained Al Nassr’s unbeaten start to the rebranded AFC Champions League Elite, lifting them to third in the 12-team West Asia table. Saudi counterparts Al Hilal and Al Ahli sit above them. The top eight reach the knockout phase.

Seeking revenge following last season’s quarter-final exit at the hands of Al Ain, Al Nassr burst out of the blocks on Tuesday. Stefano Pioli’s side took the lead after five minutes, when Brazilian Anderson Talisca finished low past Essa from the edge of the Al Ain area.

After Ronaldo doubled Al Nassr’s advantage, the home team put the result beyond their UAE rivals seven minutes later. Angelo Gabriel, a summer signing from Chelsea, exchanged passes with Mane and sent his shot looping over Essa courtesy of a deflection off Al Ain defender Fabio Cardoso. It was eventually deemed an own goal.

Al Ain pulled one back at the start of the second half, when Park Yong-woo’s shot struck the upright and cannoned back off Al Nassr goalkeeper Bento for the game’s second own goal.

However, Brazilian teenager Wesley, introduced moments before, curled home eight minutes from time before Talisca rounded off the night deep into stoppage time with his second.

With the loss, Al Ain languish at the bottom of the West Asia standings having taken a solitary point from a possible 12. A third successive defeat ramps up the pressure on manager Hernan Crespo, who in May guided the club to a first Asian crown in 21 years.

– Vissel go top in East –

Meanwhile, in East Asia, domestic title-holders Vissel Kobe beat South Korea’s Gwangju FC 2-0 at the top of their group stage on a good night for Japanese teams.

Kawasaki Frontale scored three times in the first half at home on the way to a 3-1 victory over newly crowned Chinese champions Shanghai Port. Akihiro Ienaga, Yusuke Segawa and Sai van Wermeskerken were on the scoresheet.

In Kobe, the hosts and J. League champions triumphed through a Taisei Miyashiro penalty and a Daiju Sasaki header. The victory left Vissel top of the 12 teams in the East zone at the halfway point, while Gwangju dropped to second.

Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim moved up to third with a 3-0 home victory over South Korea’s Ulsan, who are rooted to the bottom without a point.

Central Coast Mariners scored deep in injury time as they roared back to grab a 2-2 home draw with Shanghai Shenhua to finally get a point on the board.

Bailey Brandtman poked home for the Australians in the 95th minute after the hosts had been 2-0 down. That left Shenhua fourth in the group while the Mariners are one off the bottom.

AFC Champions League: Cristiano Ronaldo strikes as Al Nassr thrashes holder Al-Ain 5-1

Problem with Mbappe is he’s not a number nine – Benzema

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema believes Kylian Mbappe must learn to play as a central striker in the Spanish capital because he cannot displace Vinicius Junior on the left wing.

Mbappe completed a dream move to Madrid this summer at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain deal, but has not hit top form under Carlo Ancelotti.

The coach has retained Brazil international Vinicius in his favoured position on the wing and has used Mbappe, who prefers to play off the left, down the middle.

“The problem, in my opinion, is that (Mbappe) is not a central striker, even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine he doesn’t feel right, because that’s not his position,” Benzema told Spanish television show El Chiringuito late Monday.

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“On the left, he’s got a guy who’s at the same level as him, Vinicius, so there is a problem, you can’t play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right, because when he plays on the left he makes the difference in every game.

“Mbappe isn’t a real number nine. People ask a lot of him and he’s under a lot of pressure, this isn’t Paris Saint-Germain.”

Since arriving from PSG the 25-year-old has eight goals in 14 appearances across all competitions.

Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or at Real Madrid in 2022 before signing for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad last year, said the striker should keep working hard to adapt to his new role.

“(I’d advise him) don’t give up, because I don’t think he’s going to push Vinicius to move — he’s the best player in the world at the moment,” continued Benzema.

“Mbappe needs to get it into his head that today he’s a number nine, and forget about the left flank for a while.”

Benzema, who joined Real Madrid in 2009 and played there for 14 seasons, warned Mbappe that “if you go two or three games without a goal, you’re going to have a lot of problems.”

Problem with Mbappe is he’s not a number nine – Benzema

CAF ruling: No harassment of Nigerians in Libya – FG

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reassured Nigerians of its commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of its citizens in Libya following a recent ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against the Libyan Football Association.

Recent reports have it that Nigerians in the country were facing harassment by Libyan authorities, following the verdict of CAF which indicted the Libyan FA for their ill-treatment of the Nigerian team and officials while in Libya for a Nations Cup Qualifying Match.

In response, the Ministry released a statement on Sunday, signed by its spokesperson, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe, affirming that Nigerians residing in Libya remain safe and are able to conduct their daily activities without interference.

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The Ministry emphasized its continued vigilance and readiness to protect Nigerian citizens abroad, underscoring the government’s dedication to their well-being amid diplomatic developments.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to convey that as of the time of making this statement, Nigerians in Libya are going about their daily activities, devoid of any form of harassment by Libyan authorities, following the verdict of the Confederation of African Football which indicted the Libyan Football Association for their ill-treatment of the Nigerian team and officials while in Libya for a Nations Cup Qualifying Match.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to reiterate that the well-being of Nigerian citizens anywhere in the world is a top priority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and will continue to strive to safeguard it at all times,” the statement read.

CAF ruling: No harassment of Nigerians in Libya – FG