RIYADH: Al-Nassr lost the final of the AFC Champions League Two in Riyadh on Saturday.
The 1-0 defeat to Gamba Osaka of Japan means that a second trophy has slipped through their fingers in the space of five days. A season that had promised so much could actually end in nothing but disappointment.
The Saudi Pro League leaders would have sealed the domestic championship had they not conceded a 98th minute equaliser against Al-Hilal on Tuesday. Despite making almost all the running in the final of Asia’s second tier club tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo and his men could not find a way past the Japanese who took the lead in the first half and then defended well with goalkeeper Rui Araki an impressive performer.
Al-Nassr took the field knowing that Al-Hilal were about to win their Saudi Pro League game against Neom SC meaning that the title race would go down to the final round. Nassr, two points clear at the top, have to beat Damac on Thursday to be sure.
Despite — or because of — that, the Saudi Arabians started brightly in front of their fans and their brightly coloured tifo. After just eight minutes Araki had to get down quickly to save a low shot from Abdulrahmeen Ghareeb who had turned inside on the edge of the area.
On 10 minutes the Gamba goalkeeper was in action once again, saving a powerful header from Inigo Martinez as Al-Nassr started to take control.
Then, almost from nowhere, the visitors, who had offered little going forward, took the lead on the half hour. A simple pass from Issam Jebali from outside the area and a well-timed run from Deniz Hummet gave the Turkish forward a sight of goal and he turned to fire first time into the corner. There was a lengthy VAR check for offside that did not go the way of the home team.
Just before the break, Ronaldo came within inches of sending the teams in level. A Joao Felix free-kick was floated in and there was the 41-year-old to head just wide from close range. It was 12 shots to two in favour of Al-Nassr but the 2008 Asian champions had that all important goal.
The pressure kept coming after the break but Al-Nassr, lacking fluency and imagination, could not quite fashion the clear chances needed as Gamba defended deeply and in numbers. There was a growing feeling, however, that the Japanese team were starting to tire and that a goal may not be too far away.
There were strong appeals for a penalty midway through the half as Sadio Mane went down in the area but the referee waved play on. With 18 minutes remaining, the Senegalese star’s shot forced the Gamba goalkeeper to get down quickly to make the save.
Then with 13 minutes remaining, Al-Nassr came within a whisker. Felix collected the ball from Mane outside the area and his low shot beat Araki but came back off the post. Soon after Simakan’s diving header from a close range was straight at the goalkeeper. The home fans were starting to get desperate and Osaka were sitting very deep.
As the game moved into injury time, substitute Abdullah Al-Hamdan, who made a difference after coming on, flashed a shot over the bar.
It was too little too late however. A week that could have been one of the best in Al-Nassr’s history has, instead, been one to forget.
After watching the East Asians celebrate, coach Jorge Jesus must somehow lift his players for a big game next Thursday. There is still a chance for the season to finish on a high for Al-Nassr but there can be no more slip-ups.
