Jhon Duran failed to deliver in Cristiano Ronaldo's absence as Al-Nassr were held to a goalless draw by Esteghlal.
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Duran led Al-Nassr's attackFailed to find the back of the netAl-Nassr held to a draw in TehranFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE
Duran led Al-Nassr's attack in the absence of Ronaldo, who did not travel to Tehran for the match. The Saudi Pro League side dominated proceedings at the start and came close to breaking the deadlock in the 20th minute when Duran found himself one-on-one with Esteghlal goalkeeper Hossein Hosseini.
The ex-Aston Villa star's shot, however, was stopped by the opposition custodian. Ayman Yahya attempted another shot on goal from the rebound but it was cleared from the goal line by Esteghlal defenders. The first half witnessed end-to-end action with both teams creating goalscoring opportunities but the scoreboard remained unchanged as they head into the break.
The hosts squandered the best chance of the game in the 50th minute when Armin Sohrabian curled an inch-perfect cross inside the Al-Nassr box. Ramin Rezaeian attempted a header from a very close range but failed to keep the ball on target.
Duran came close to breaking the deadlock on multiple occasions in the second half but failed to put the ball into the back of the net as Hosseini denied him with his stellar goalkeeping. The two teams will now head to Riyadh for the second leg, where Ronaldo is expected to take the field.
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Esteghlal's star performer on the night was their captain Hosseini. The Iranian goalkeeper had a stellar outing and was instrumental in keeping a clean sheet against a star-studded Al-Nassr attack. Hosseini denied Duran from breaking the deadlock on numerous occasions, including his save from a close range in the first half.
GettyTHE BIG LOSER
All eyes were on Jhon Duran in the Al-Nassr attack in the absence of their star goalscorer Ronaldo. The Colombian forward had several opportunities to score the winner for his side as he was constantly fed with quality balls from Sadio Mane and Marcelo Brozovic, but his efforts were stopped by Esteghlal skipper Hosseini.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Stefano Pioli's side will be back in action in the Saudi Pro League on Friday as Al-Nassr host Al-Shabab in a crucial league clash.
