Riyadh: Cristiano Ronaldo scored two second-half goals as Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr beat Al-Duhail of Qatar 4-3 in the Asian Champions League.
Al-Nassr has nine points from three games in Group E, three clear of Persepolis after the Iranian team defeated Tajikistan’s Istiklol 2-0.
Ronaldo’s backheel set up Anderson Talisca for the opening goal and Sadio Mane doubled the lead before halftime. The Portugal star’s left-footed curler from outside the area made it 3-0 before the hour mark.
Al-Duhail pulled two goals back thanks to Ismaeel Mohammed and Almoez Ali.
Ronaldo intervened once more with nine minutes remaining as he volleyed a deep cross into the net, and Al-Nassr hung on after Michael Olunga’s strike made it 4-3.
On Monday Al-Hilal routed Mumbai City 6-0. Aleksandar Mitrovic scored a hat trick for the four-time champion to put Al-Hilal atop Group D with seven points from three games.
In the absence of the injured Karim Benzema, a last-minute goal from Abderrazak Hamdallah gave Saudi Arabian champion Al-Ittihad a 1-0 win over Al Quwa Al Jawiya of Iraq.
Al-Ittihad is two points clear of Iranian team Sepahan, which won 3-1 in Uzbekistan against AGMK, in Group C.
In the eastern zone — the competition is divided into two geographic halves until the final — two teams with three titles to their name met in Japan.
Pohang Steelers of South Korea defeated host Urawa Reds 2-0, Jeong Jae-hee scored the opener midway through the first half and Goh Young-jun added a second.
Pohang is atop Group J with three wins out of three and five points clear of Urawa and Wuhan Three Towns after the Chinese champion beat Vietnam’s Hanoi FC 2-1.
Two-time champion Ulsan Hyundai Horangi of South Korea defeated Malaysia’s Johor Darul Tazim 3-1 but stays second in Group I behind Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale, which won 4-2 at Thailand’s BG Pathum United.
