Esteghlal 0-0 Al-Nassr: Duran despair as Ronaldo misses AFC Champions League stalemate

Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the round trip of around 2,200 miles as Al-Nassr were held by Esteghlal at Iran’s national stadium in the first leg of their AFC Champions League round of 16 tie.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo shared a message of support for his team on his Instagram account – the most-followed on the platform – hours before kick-off, telling them: “Let’s go”.

Al-Nassr went closest during an end-to-end first half at the 78,116-capacity Azadi Stadium, where Ramin Rezaeian brilliantly headed Ayman Yahya’s header off the line after Iran goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini had kept out Jhon Duran’s shot with his legs.

A night to forget for Al Nassr in attack, but one to remember for Esteghlal’s defence! #ACLElite | #ESTvNSR pic.twitter.com/rf7RnFbsaR

— #ACLElite | #ACLTwo (@TheAFCCL) March 3, 2025

Duran – a £65 million January signing from Aston Villa – sent a low finish against a post and twice had shots turned behind by Hosseini as the Colombia forward went a third game without a goal for his new club.

The second leg will take place in Riyadh on March 10 (6pm GMT).

Why did Ronaldo not play for Al Nassr in Iran?

Al-Nassr wrote to organisers asking for the game to be played “on neutral ground” because of “Ronaldo’s bad experience in Tehran”, according to the DPA news agency via MailOnline.

Police reportedly had to disperse crowds who mobbed Al Nassr’s hotel when they visited Tehran club Persepolis in September 2023.

Ronaldo was not involved when Al-Nassr drew 0-0 at Azadi Stadium against Persepolis, who also use the ground, on February 17, although his side had already qualified for the last 16 by that point.

Who can get past Seyed Hosseini? 🧤#ACLElite | #ESTvNSR pic.twitter.com/TYaBXJR9zl

— #ACLElite | #ACLTwo (@TheAFCCL) March 3, 2025

The Portugal captain’s official YouTube channel, which has almost 74 million subscribers, streamed the Riyadh Premier Padel Finals during that game.

Two-time African Footballer of the Year Mane was an unused substitute at Persepolis and not in the matchday squad for Al-Nassr’s 2-1 Saudi Pro League defeat at Al-Orobah on Friday.

Esteghlal vs Al-Nassr

Al-Nassr manager Stefano Pioli made four changes, bringing in Sadio Mane for Ronaldo, full-back Nawaf Boushal for Majed Qashish and wingers Awad Ali Al-Hassan and Ayman Yahya for Abdulmajeed Al-Sulayhem and Wesley Teixeira.

The hosts fielded a five-man defence and had 29% of first-half possession, but Iran national team newcomer Mohammad Reza Azadi tested Al-Nassr goalkeeper Bento with an angled drive.

Esteghlal had the first chance of the second half when Armin Sohrabian headed over in space, marking a bright restart after Kyrgyzstan forward Joel Kojo came on for Azadi at half-time.

Sohrabian turned provider to produce a golden opportunity shortly afterwards, finding Rezaeian in front of goal with a searching cross from the left that his fellow wing-back could only nod the wrong side of a post.

Esteghlal: Kojo threatens winner

Al-Nassr beat Esteghlal 1-0 through former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte’s goal in Dubai during the group stage on October 22.

Newly managed by former Crvena zvezda boss Miodrag Bozovic, Esteghlal won the AFC Champions League in 1970 and 1991.

The oldest professional team in Tehran have won the Persian Gulf Pro League nine times but are currently ninth out of 16 clubs in the division after winning only six of their first 21 league games of the season.

Having lost to Persepolis on Thursday, Esteghlal more than held their own against Al-Nassr and came close to a late winner when Kojo headed narrowly wide.

Cristiano Ronaldo goals

Ronaldo has netted once in his last four league games but is still the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League with 17 goals, followed by Al-Ittihad’s Karim Benzema on 16.

The 40-year-old collected the league’s goal of the week award before Al-Nassr played at Al Orobah on Friday, but the evening ended in misery for Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer as fourth-placed Al-Nassr dropped points for the ninth time in 23 league games this season, including a glaring Ronaldo miss when the scoreline was 1-1.

With 11 league games of the campaign remaining, Al-Nassr are 10 points behind leaders Al-Ittihad, four shy of second-placed reigning champions Al-Hilal and three adrift of third-placed Al-Qadsiah.

Ronaldo Champions League stats

Ronaldo has six goals in this season’s AFC Champions League as the 40-year-old looks to add to his solitary trophy since joining Al-Nassr at the start of 2023, winning the Arab Club Champions Cup that year.

Four of those goals have come in his last three appearances in the competition, scoring twice each away to Qatari opponents Al-Gharafa on November 25 and at home to Emirati team Al-Wasl on February 3.

Al-Nassr were knocked out on penalties by Emirati team Al Ain in the quarter-finals last season in Ronaldo’s first experience of the competition.

He won the 2007/08 Champions League in Europe with Manchester United and repeated the feat four times between 2014 and 2018 with Real Madrid.

Al-Nassr host sixth-placed Al-Shabab on Friday (7pm GMT) in their domestic top flight.