Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr saw their dream of reaching the Asian Champions League final come to an end after losing 2-3 at home on Wednesday to Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale.

Tough home loss for Pioli’s squad

The Japanese side will now play the final on May 3 in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) against Al Ahli, who knocked out Al Hilal 1-3 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the team coached by Italian manager Stefano Pioli is also out of the King’s Cup and sits third in the Saudi league with 60 points, eight behind leaders Al Ittihad, with five games left.

The match kicked off with a screamer from Tatsuya Ito in the 10th minute — a rocket from outside the box into the top corner. Sadio Mané leveled it in the 28th with a slick solo run and a low shot to the far post. But just before halftime (41’), a defensive mistake by Al Nassr led to Yuto Ozeki scoring after a scramble in the box — a tough blow for the home side.

In the second half, with Al Nassr pushing forward, Kawasaki took advantage of the space and sealed the win on the counter with a goal from Akihiro Ienaga in the 76th. Ayman Yahya pulled one back in the 87th with a long-range strike, but it wasn’t enough. Al Nassr kept fighting until the final whistle, urged on by their fans, but they couldn’t avoid crashing out of the tournament.