Cristiano Ronaldo missed his third consecutive game for Al-Nassr as the Saudi Arabian club defeated Arkadag FC of Turkmenistan 1-0 on Wednesday in the first leg of the round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Two.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored the only goal of the game in Asia’s second-tier competition to put Al-Nassr in control ahead of next week’s return match in Riyadh.
Ronaldo — who has yet to win a major trophy since joining Al-Nassr in December 2022 — has been absent amid reports that he is unhappy with how the club is being run by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which also owns Riyadh rival Al-Hilal and Jeddah clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad.
In the AFC Champions League Elite, Asia’s premier club tournament, Algeria international Houssem Aouar scored a hat trick as Al-Ittihad routed Al-Gharafa of Qatar 7-0 in the penultimate round of group stage games. The result ensured the two-time champion joined Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal in the round of 16.
The top eight teams from each of the two 12-team groups — based in the west and east regions of Asia — advance to the knockout stage. Al-Wahda of the United Arab Emirates and Iran’s Tractor SC have also secured qualification with a game to spare.
In the East Zone, Australia’s Melbourne City advanced with a 2-1 win at Ulsan HD in South Korea to join Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Vissel Kobe and Machida Zelvia in the second round.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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