The sixth day of the AFC Champions League kicked off with Al Nassr taking on Al Sadd SC at Cristiano Ronaldo’s home ground, Al-Awwal Park. The match unfolded with significant upsets, including a 1-2 defeat, ending their winning streak in this competition, and the notable absence of the 39-year-old Portuguese striker from the roster.
With two days remaining, the team led by Italian coach Stefano Pioli are already partially qualified for the next stage of the tournament, currently ranking third in Group B with 13 points.
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Al Nassr had enjoyed a five-match unbeaten run, consisting of one draw and four consecutive wins, allowing them to qualify early for the next phase of the tournament.
In view of these favorable results, Pioli made a radical decision regarding the team which was to face Al Sadd SC on the fifth day. Among the measures taken, the exclusion of the team’s top scorer, and the next player on the verge of reaching the remarkable milestone of 1,000 goals, Cristiano Ronaldo.
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La Liga’s ‘Le Bicho’ recently scored a double in the previous round of this competition as well as in the domestic championship, taking his tally to 915 goals. However, despite his impressive performance on the pitch, Pioli chose not to include him for this match against Al Sadd, not due to any injury or physical problem, but simply to protect him given the great number of matches he played.
Ronaldo started the last seven matches and scored in six of them, allowing him to take a short rest to prepare for his return on December 6 against Al-Ittihad Club away.
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