Meanwhile, Al Wasl -- who are featuring in the knockout round in the ACL era for the first time -- may not be as illustrious an outfit as their opponents, but their success has been based on being a well-drilled and settled side.

Esteghlal and Al Nassr played out a goalless draw in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 match at the Azadi Sports Complex on Monday. It was a tale of two halves, as both teams had their fair share of chances but failed to convert any into a goal.

Amid growing speculation on social media about Cristiano Ronaldo's presence in Iran for Al Nassr's AFC Champions League clash against Esteghlal, head coach Stefano Pioli addressed whether the Portuguese star will be available for the match.

The truth behind Cristiano Ronaldo's absence from Al-Nassr's squad for their upcoming AFC Champions League clash has emerged amid false claims about an incident that happened in 2023. Al Nassr will face Iranian side Esteghlal in the last 16 of the Asian Champions League on Monday, just three days falling to a 2-1 defeat against Al Orobah.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains absent from Al Nassr’s matchday squad against Esteghlal for the first-leg of their AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 clash.

Esteghlal face Al Nassr for the first leg of the 2024/2025 AFC Champions League round of 16. Find out here the kickoff times and full broadcast details, including TV and streaming options available in the USA.

Abdullah Al-Yazidi earned Qatar's Al-Sadd a 1-1 draw with Al-Wasl in Dubai in the first leg of their Asian Champions League Elite last 16 clash on Monday as Al-Nassr, missing Cristiano Ronaldo, were held to a 0-0 draw by Iran's Esteghlal in Tehran.