· 2 min readIn this Al Ain vs Al Nassr match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Al Nassr came into their first AFC Champions League Elite game in a worrying moment. Postecoglou’s team have still not found their best level, were coming off a defeat to Ittihad and several draws, including against Al Khaleej. On the other side was an Al Ain side that is always difficult to face, although unstable in these competitions.
And right from the start, it became clear that everything could be wrong.
Postecoglou surprised everyone by opting for a back three, something that had not happened for a long time. Since Ronaldo joined the club in January 2023, I had never seen Al Nassr play like this. Bento also remained on the bench, deservedly so given the horrible form he had been going through.
Al Ain started much better. Houssine Rahimi appeared behind the defence, tried to cross and the ball ended up hitting the post. Nawaf Al-Aqidi had to cover that gap.
Al Nassr were unrecognisable. Al Ain were playing in the attacking half, had more of the ball and were creating danger, while Ronaldo and company seemed to be simply waiting for a transition.
And the goal arrived in ridiculous fashion. Saad Al-Nasser tried to pass the ball back, but put it far too short. Houssine Rahimi anticipated it, entered the box and was left with space against Nawaf. The goalkeeper tried to make himself big, but could not prevent the 1-0. Ronaldo was not at all happy with what he was seeing.
Houssine scored again, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Al Nassr tried to react, with Boushal finding space near the byline, but neither João Félix nor Ronaldo could get a touch on the ball. Ronaldo had only touched the ball six times after 36 minutes.
At half-time, Al Ain had 53% possession, seven shots to five and three on target compared to just one for Al Nassr.
In the second half, Saad Al-Nasser came off and 21-year-old Rakan Al-Ghamdi came on for his first appearance of the season. Al Nassr had more of the ball, but still could not get a shot away. Possession was increasing, but the danger was not appearing.
Then came the second blow. Palacios played a beautiful pass into a huge gap left by Al Nassr’s defence, Kaku received it and, first-time, put the ball across for Houssine Rahimi to simply tap in. VAR confirmed the 2-0.
Shortly afterwards, the disaster was complete. Kaku provided another assist, this time for Soufiane Rahimi, who appeared behind Simakan. The centre-back defended very poorly, Rahimi received with space and shot low into the corner. 3-0.
Al Nassr then started playing with two forwards and tried to react, but without any ideas. It was cross after cross, waiting for a miracle. The fourth goal arrived on the counter-attack, with Al Ain having two players against just Simakan: the ball went to Giakoumakis and he shot into the corner. 4-0. Embarrassing. Al Nassr were given a lesson in how to play football. There are no words to describe how bad Al Nassr’s performance was.
If this was supposed to be a potential contender for the trophies, today they looked exactly the opposite. From the very beginning.
Post-match
Al Nassr returned to Asia, after reaching the final of the second continental competition last season, with a humiliating defeat and a performance that was impossible to defend. Postecoglou tried to change the system, but the team looked lost.
