Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr thrash Yokohama F Marinos as Saudi clubs dominate in AFC Champions League

The National

27-04-2025

There was always a fear the cash-rich, star-studded sides from Saudi Arabia might overpower their guests from the east of the continent in the first AFC Champions League Elite Finals event. But perhaps not quite to this extent. As it has turned out, it has not even been close. The trio of teams from the Kingdom did not so much beat their opposition in the quarter finals of the new event in Jeddah as thrash them into a sorry pulp. It has been savage. On Friday's opening night, in front of 47,000 raucous fans, domestic champions Al Hilal were merciless against Gwangju. The South Korean side barely stood a chance. They were making their debut on this stage this season, having finished in their highest position of third in the K League last season. Hilal, by contrast, have been champions of Asia four times previously. To say there was a gulf between the two sides understates the point. Al Hilal won 7-0. The second match of the event, on Saturday, looked to be heading the same way. Playing at their own home ground, Al Ahli Saudi were 3-0 up by half-time against Buriram United. At least they eased off the gas thereafter, but the Thai side still were not able to strike a blow. Then, in the late game of Day 2, Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr cruised to a 4-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos. They did not even have to break sweat. The list of goalscorers across the three games is a clue to just how big the gap is between Saudi and the rest. It included Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Aleksandar Mitrovic for Hilal, and Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino for Ahli. Each of the kingpin trio in the Nassr forward line made it on to the scoresheet: Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Jhon Duran. While the sides from the rest of the continent have been playing catch up, the Saudi giants have been playing Monopoly between themselves over the past two and a half years. The gap between the haves and have-nots is now so vast, it is scarcely a fair fight. Yokohama had reached the final of Asia's top club competition last year, and were only stopped from lifting the trophy by a Soufiane Rahimi-inspired Al Ain. Unlike the holders from the UAE's garden city, at least the Japanese side made it as far as the last eight this time around. Somehow, despite now sitting dead last in the J League, Yokohama topped the league phase of the East region of this competition. Maybe that says more about that side of the draw than it does their qualities. Kawasaki Frontale, also from Japan, could yet strike a blow for the east in the last match of the round. They play Al Sadd of Qatar in the last quarter final on Sunday night, but it feels highly unlikely at this stage the winner of the tournament will come from that fixture. Yokohama only arrived in Jeddah with modest ambitions, so troubled has life been for them since they finished runners up last season. Harry Kewell, who cut an odd and irritable figure on the touchline in last year's final second-leg in Al Ain, has long since been displaced as Yokohama's manager. Steve Holland, the former England assistant coach, was also shipped out from the position recently, meaning the Japanese side arrived here with an interim in charge. Strangely, despite their problems this season, Yokohama actually settled well against their vaunted opposition. At least until Thomas Deng, their Australia centre back, sliced a clearance against a post. It rebounded kindly into the path of Duran, and the floodgates were opened. It was the first of two for the Colombian striker. Mane added a second not long after. Kouta Watanabe summed up Yokohama's travails. He meant well, and got himself a goal – the only one anyone managed against the Saudi sides. But he also picked up two yellow cards and was sent off. It was all so easy for the Riyadh-based team, Ronaldo even had a little sit down on the advertising board after his goal. He might have been having a rest ahead of time. When he was substituted in the 67th minute he was limping, having been felled in a collision with the Yokohama goalkeeper. His continued participation in the tournament did not seem to be a concern, though. Rather Stefano Pioli, the manager, was putting him on ice ahead of Wednesday's semi-final. Nassr will play the winner of the Sadd game against Kawasaki, while Hilal and Ahli will meet in the first semi-final on Tuesday evening.