The Rahimi Brothers Shine Against Ronaldo's Al Nassr
Al Ain FC, champions of the 2003 and 2024 editions, marked their return to the prestigious AFC Champions League with a resounding 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr on Tuesday at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, in the first round of the unified group stage for the West region.
The win was thanks to goals from Moroccan brothers Hussein Rahimi (25 and 63) and Sofiane Rahimi (72), along with a fourth goal from substitute Greek player Giorgos Giakoumakis (85).
Al Ain had missed the previous edition after finishing fifth in the domestic league, but their return was fruitful, ending an eight-match winless streak that included six defeats and two draws in the 2024-2025 season.
The UAE champions also avenged their earlier defeat to Al Nassr in the same stadium, having beaten them by the same scoreline on their way to the 2024 title, before the Saudi champions returned the favor a year later with a 5-1 win in Riyadh.
Al Nassr's return after their participation in the previous AFC Champions League, where they lost the final to Gamba Osaka 0-1, was less than ideal, as they struggled against the home side, who were more organized and effective, while their star Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from the team's attacking play, only appearing with a free kick at the end of the match.
Al Ain started strong, with Paraguayan Alejandro Romero delivering a pass behind the defenders to Hussein Rahimi, who broke through and hit the post (2).
Al Nassr responded with a free kick taken by Portuguese João Félix, which Spanish player Iñigo Martínez headed, but was saved by goalkeeper Aissa (17).
Al Nassr defender Saad Al Nasser made a critical error while attempting to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi, allowing Hussein Rahimi to intercept and score (25).
Al Aqidi saved a shot from Portuguese Rafael Rodrigues after a pass from Hussein Rahimi (39).
Hussein Rahimi added the second goal after receiving a cross from Romero, striking it directly into the net (63).
Sofiane Rahimi, the top scorer of the 2024 edition with 13 goals, continued the family's brilliance by scoring the third goal with a second assist from Romero (72).
Substitute Giakoumakis capped off the scoring for the home side with the fourth goal after a pass from Sofiane Rahimi (85).
Ronaldo attempted to score with a powerful free kick, but Aissa expertly saved it (89).
