Jeddah, May 1 (H.S.): A major upset occurred late Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Asian Champions League when the Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s team Al-Nassr 3-2, securing a spot in the tournament finals. The expensive team from the Saudi Pro League was shocked when Yuto Ozeki and Akihiro Ienaga scored goals. Although Sadio Mane and Ayman Yahya attempted to mount a comeback for Al-Nassr, they ultimately faced defeat.

After defeating Qatar’s Al-Sadd in the quarterfinals, Kawasaki Frontale, filled with confidence, also started strong in the semifinals. In the 10th minute of the match, Tatsuya Ito scored a fantastic volley, giving Kawasaki a 1-0 lead.

In the 28th minute, Sadio Mane equalized for Ronaldo’s team. His shot deflected slightly off the shoulder of Japanese defender Maruyama and went into the goal. After that, Ronaldo made efforts to score with a header and an overhead kick, but was unsuccessful. Four minutes before the end of the first half, Ito’s swift run and shot were saved by Bento, but Ozeki scored on the rebound.

In the second half, Al-Nassr intensified their attempts to make a comeback, but in the 76th minute, Kawasaki substitute Eriison created a brilliant move and passed to Ienaga, who scored the third goal. In the 87th minute, Ayman Yahya scored from a distance, making the score 3-2 and adding excitement to the match.

In the final moments, Ronaldo tried to score twice, but Japanese goalkeeper Yamaguchi made excellent saves. With this, Kawasaki Frontale made history by reaching the finals of the Asian Champions League for the first time.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar