Al Ain delivered a commanding performance to dismantle Al Nassr 4-0 in their AFC Champions League Elite clash on Tuesday. The result was largely driven by a standout sibling partnership between Soufiane and Houssine Rahimi, who systematically dismantled the Saudi side’s defense throughout the evening.
Houssine Rahimi ignited the scoring in the 25th minute, finding the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead before a packed stadium. Despite Al Nassr’s attempts to recover before the break, Al Ain’s defensive line held firm, heading into halftime with their advantage intact. The second half proved far more difficult for the visitors, as the hosts expanded their lead significantly.
Thirteen minutes after the restart, Houssine struck again to double the lead to 2-0. Soufiane Rahimi then mirrored his brother’s intensity, finding the target in the 72nd minute to push the score to 3-0. With time running out, Giorgos Giakoumakis added a fourth goal five minutes from the final whistle to seal the victory and move Al Ain to the top of their group. Cristiano Ronaldo remained unable to spark a comeback for Al Nassr as the pressure mounted late in the match.
In related AFC Champions League Elite action, Shabab Al Ahli began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory against Iran’s Tractor FC on Monday. The decisive moment came in the 22nd minute when Yuri Cesar capitalized on a defensive error by Tractor captain Shojae Khalilsadeh, sliding the ball past goalkeeper Parsa Jafari.
Shabab Al Ahli’s coach, Andre Jardine, expressed mixed emotions following the win. While pleased with the result, he noted that his side should have capitalized on more scoring opportunities. Jardine highlighted that while his team dominated the opening 35 minutes, they struggled to maintain control heading into the interval, a persistent issue he intends to rectify.
Tractor FC posed challenges throughout the second half, with Tomislav Strkalj testing goalkeeper Matheus Donelli in the 40th minute. Following the break, Jafari made critical saves against Yuri Cesar and Saeid Ezatolahi to keep the visitors in the game. Late in the contest, Mohammad Daneshgar nearly leveled the score with a header that skimmed the bar, and Mehdi Shiri’s long-range attempt was tipped over by Donelli.
The competition structure for the eastern league phase involves 16 teams, with the top eight progressing to the knockout stages. The tournament is set to conclude with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final taking place in Saudi Arabia during April and May 2026. The report also notes that rahimi siblings put a stellar performance as UAE’s Al Ain routed Saudi’s Al Nassr to mount a serious challenge for the continental title for the third time. The report also notes that al Nassr kept on trying to equalise but they failed to penetrate the watertight defence of Al Ain. The report also notes that al Nassr were expecting a change of fortune with the change of the side. The report also notes that houssine struck again 13 minutes after the half-time to extend the lead to 2-0. The report also notes that with the time passing away quickly, Al Nassr had come up with some plan to not only stop Al Ain but also curtail the deficit. The report also notes that ronaldo failed to produce the same magic he is known for. The report also notes that seeing his brother, Soufiane also changed gears and dispatched a shot into the post to make it 3-0 in the 72nd minute. The report also notes that the pressure was increasing on Al Nassr, with only 15 minutes left.
