At the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain, Al Nassr’s continental campaign opened with a harsh 4-0 defeat on Tuesday 15 September, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s frustration spilled into a confrontation with Argentina’s Matías Palacios.
Cristiano Ronaldo involved in clash as Al Ain overwhelm Al Nassr
SEO title: Al Ain 4-0 Al Nassr: Ronaldo clashes with Palacios in AFC defeat
SEO description: Al Ain began the AFC Champions League group stage with a 4-0 home win over Al Nassr, with Cristiano Ronaldo involved in a second-half confrontation with Matías Palacios.
The news from the club
Ange Postecoglou’s Al Nassr had much of the ball in the Emirates but could not turn possession into decisive chances. Al Ain, more ruthless when opportunities arrived, took control of the opening matchday in the AFC Champions League group phase.
Houssine Rahimi put the home side ahead after 25 minutes, taking advantage of a lapse in the Al Nassr defence. The Moroccan added his second goal in the 63rd minute, before his brother Soufiane Rahimi made it 3-0 nine minutes later.
With the Saudi side increasingly stretched, Georgios Giakoumakis completed the scoring five minutes from time. The former Cruz Azul forward’s finish sealed a memorable 4-0 evening for the Emirati club.
A flashpoint at 2-0
Ronaldo’s disagreement with Palacios came while Al Ain held a two-goal advantage. During an Al Nassr attack, the Argentine midfielder positioned himself in front of the Portuguese forward and prevented him from moving into the penalty area as a possible target.
The pair exchanged pushes and grabs before Ronaldo brought Palacios down with his right arm during the tussle. Palacios also pulled at Ronaldo, and both men went to ground. While Palacios remained on the turf appealing for a foul, Ronaldo quickly got up and appeared to signal to the referee that he was not responsible.
It was not their first encounter in this competition. When Al Nassr met Al Ain in November 2024, Palacios complained about a possible elbow before Ronaldo held him during another confrontation. Al Nassr won that earlier match 5-1, with Ronaldo among the scorers.
