The Rahimi brothers proved decisive on Tuesday as UAE side Al Ain secured a commanding 4-0 victory over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in their AFC Champions League Elite (ACL) clash. The siblings combined for a dominant performance that underscored Al Ain’s ambitions to challenge for a third continental title.
Younger brother Houssine Rahimi ignited the scoring in the 25th minute, breaking the deadlock to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage in front of a capacity crowd. Despite Al Nassr’s efforts to find an equalizer before halftime, they were unable to breach the disciplined Al Ain defense, leaving the visitors trailing at the break.
The match grew increasingly difficult for Al Nassr in the second half. Houssine struck again 13 minutes after the interval to double the lead. His brother, Soufiane Rahimi, followed suit in the 72nd minute with a clinical finish that made the score 3-0. With time running out, Giorgos Giakoumakis added a fourth goal five minutes before the final whistle to seal the emphatic win, sending Al Ain to the top of their group.
In other ACL Elite action on Monday, Shabab Al Ahli began their campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory against Iran’s Tractor FC. The decisive moment arrived in the 22nd minute when Yuri Cesar capitalized on a fumble by Tractor captain Shojae Khalilsadeh, steering a shot from the edge of the six-yard box past keeper Parsa Jafari.
Shabab Al Ahli dominated early proceedings, with Sardar Azmoun having a seventh-minute header disallowed for offside and Rikelme hitting the woodwork from 35 yards out in the 20th minute. Tractor struggled for rhythm, though Tomislav Strkalj managed a 40th-minute attempt that was comfortably saved by Matheus Donelli.
The second half saw both sides test the keepers. Jafari denied a stinging effort from Cesar, while Donelli later tipped a fierce 25-yard drive from Mehdi Shiri over the bar. Tractor’s Mohammad Daneshgar also came close to forcing an equalizer in the 79th minute, but his header skimmed the top of the crossbar.
Despite the win, Shabab Al Ahli coach Andre Jardine expressed mixed feelings, noting that while the primary objective was achieved, his team should have converted more of their chances. Jardine pointed to a recurring issue where the squad lost control toward the end of the first half, a trend he insists the team must address. He admitted that while the team had excellent spells, they allowed unnecessary pressure by failing to finish their opportunities.
The tournament format requires the top eight finishers from the 16-team eastern league phase to advance to the knockout stages. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final are scheduled to be hosted in Saudi Arabia this coming April and May. 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. The report also notes that yuri Cesar’s opportunistic 22nd-minute strike at the Rashid Stadium capped a well-rounded display by the UAE side in their competition opener as they look to lift their first continental trophy.
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