Ronaldo, Al Nassr secure ACL round-of-16 place

Al-Nassr advances in Asian Champions League, Al-Sadd and Sepahan also win. Dramatic matches with red cards and last-minute victories.

Al-Nassr has secured a spot in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League after a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Persepolis, despite playing most of the game with 10 men. The draw means that Al-Nassr will finish on top of Group E, guaranteeing their place in the last 16 of the competition.

While only the group winners are guaranteed to progress to the next phase, Persepolis still has a chance to secure one of the three best runners-up berths if they defeat Al-Duhail in their final group game. Al-Duhail, however, are already eliminated despite a 2-0 victory over Istiklol.

In another group, Al-Sadd secured a 2-0 win over Sharjah, putting them back in contention for a place in the last 16. The victory moves them onto seven points from five games, keeping them in third place in the group.

In Group B, Nasaf claimed the top spot in the standings after coming from behind to defeat Al-Faisaly 3-1. Sharjah is in second place and still has a chance to advance with a win in their final group game.

In Group C, Sepahan survived a pair of red cards to secure a 1-0 victory over Air Force Club. Despite the challenges, Sepahan remains in second place behind Al-Ittihad, who defeated AGMK 2-1.

Overall, the competition is heating up as teams battle for a place in the knockout rounds, with some unexpected results and standout performances. The final group games will determine which teams will progress to the next phase of the Asian Champions League.