No Ronaldo, no problem for Al-Nassr in Asian second-tier tournament

By Canadian Press on September 17, 2025.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was rested Wednesday but Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr kicked off its Asian campaign with a 5-0 victory over Istiklol of Tajikistan.

Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane completed the thrashing in Riyadh after earlier goals from Kingsley Coman and Abdulrahman Ghareeb as well as Brazilians Wesley and Angelo.

The Saudi Arabian club is the favorite in the Asian Champions League Two, Asia’s second-tier competition.

In the Asian Champions League Elite, all three Chinese clubs in action Wednesday lost their opening games.

Shanghai Port crashed to a 3-0 defeat at home to Japan’s Vissel Kobe while Chengdu Rongcheng and Shanghai Shenhua lost against South Korean opposition, Ulsan HD and Gangwon FC respectively.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press

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