BAGHDAD — Iraq's Al Shorta managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr Club in their opening match of the AFC Champions League Elite 2024/25 League Stage on Monday. Playing without key players Cristiano Ronaldo and Aymeric Laporte, Al Nassr faced a challenging match at Al-Madina International Stadium and had to settle for a point. The game began nervously for Al Nassr as goalkeeper Bento's poor pass was intercepted by Bassam Shakir. Fortunately for the Saudi side, Mohamed Simakan blocked Shakir's subsequent shot. Al Nassr took the lead in the 14th minute when Sultan Al Ghannam capitalized on a superb pass from Otavio, placing his shot neatly into the bottom corner. However, Al Shorta equalized in the 24th minute. Mohammed Dawood took advantage of a defensive mix-up between Simakan and Salem Al Nadji, curling a precise shot into the top corner. In the 40th minute, Al Shorta was awarded a penalty after Simakan fouled Dawood. However, after a VAR review, the decision was changed to a free-kick, as the infringement occurred outside the penalty area. Al Nassr came out strong in the second half. Sadio Mane's pass in the 50th minute found Anderson Talisca, whose shot was tipped over by Al Shorta's Ahmed Basil. Talisca came close again with a powerful long-range effort that deflected off Abdurazzaq Qasim and narrowly missed the target. Despite their best efforts, Al Nassr couldn't find a winning goal, and Al Shorta's resilient defense ensured they secured a solid point in their campaign opener.
