Al Ain emerged victorious against Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, clinching a semi-final spot after securing a decisive 3-1 penalty shootout win. This followed an intense aggregate draw of 4-4 across the home and away legs.
The action-packed second leg at Al Nassr's home ground concluded with a 4-3 victory for the home team, which was not enough to secure their advancement after Al Ain's 1-0 win in the first leg in the UAE.
Al Ain's Moroccan sensation, Sofiane Rahimi, shone brightly by scoring twice in the first half, in the 28th and 45th minutes. Sultan Al Shamsi added to the tally with a third goal, exploiting a mistake by Al Nassr's goalkeeper Raghed Al-Najjar in the 103rd minute during extra time.
Al Nassr responded with goals from Abdulrahman Ghareeb, an unfortunate own goal by Al Ain's keeper Khalid Eisa, followed by strikes from Alex Telles and Ronaldo, marking the scoreboard at the 45th, 51st, 72nd, and 118th minutes, respectively.
Despite Al Nassr's home advantage and late efforts, Al Ain demonstrated resilience and tactical superiority throughout the 120-minute clash. Their strategic gameplay and persistence paid off, earning them a well-deserved place in the AFC Champions League semi-finals after a nail-biting penalty shootout conclusion.
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