Al Nassr suffers 4-0 demolition in Asian Champions League opener against Al Ain

Al Nassr’s ambitions in the AFC Champions League Elite took an immediate and brutal hit on September 15, as Al Ain dismantled the Saudi club 4-0 in their group stage opener at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

The defeat leaves Al Nassr rooted to the bottom of their group with a goal difference of -4 after just one matchday. Al Ain, meanwhile, sit comfortably at the top.

Al Ain’s Rahimi double sets the tone

Houssine Rahimi opened the scoring in the 25th minute, giving Al Ain a lead they would never relinquish.

Houssine Rahimi doubled his tally in the 63rd minute, and Soufiane Rahimi added a third in the 72nd minute. That strike made him Al Ain’s all-time leading scorer in the AFC Champions League with 19 goals.

Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis came off the bench and applied the finishing touch in the 85th minute, completing the 4-0 rout.

Postecoglou’s new-look Al Nassr misfires badly

Al Nassr entered the match under manager Ange Postecoglou, with a squad bolstered by notable additions including João Félix and Samu Costa. Ronaldo was held scoreless across the 90 minutes, and Félix and Costa fared no better.

Al Ain’s continental pedigree on full display

Soufiane Rahimi’s record-breaking 19th AFC Champions League goal for the club reflects the significance of this match in both the tournament and club history. The combination of Houssine Rahimi’s brace, Soufiane Rahimi’s historic goal, and Giakoumakis’s late contribution off the bench showed a squad with depth and variety in attack that Al Nassr could not cope with.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.