Kawasaki Frontale pulled off a thrilling 3-2 upset over Al Nassr in the AFC Champions League Elite semifinals on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This victory propels the Japanese club into the tournament's final for the first time in their history.
Kawasaki will face Al Ahli, who defeated Al Hilal 3-1 on Tuesday, in the final on Saturday. Both clubs are vying for their maiden continental trophy.
The match started with a bang as Kawasaki took the lead in the 10th minute. A headed clearance by Al Nassr fell to Tatsuya Ito, who volleyed the ball into the net, putting the visitors ahead. Al Nassr responded in the 28th minute when Sadio Mane broke into the box from the left wing and unleashed a powerful shot. The ball deflected off a defender and goalkeeper Louis Yamaguchi before finding the back of the net, leveling the score.
Kawasaki regained the lead just before halftime. In the 41st minute, Al Nassr's goalkeeper Bento saved an initial shot by Ito, but Yuto Ozeki was quick to react, knocking in the rebound to make it 2-1.
The second half saw Kawasaki extend their advantage. In the 76th minute, Erison outpaced the defense on the left wing and delivered a low cross to Akihiro Ienaga in front of an open goal. Ienaga tapped it in with ease, bringing the score to 3-1.
Al Nassr fought back, and in the 87th minute, Ayman Yahya scored a spectacular long-range goal to reduce the deficit. However, it was too late for the Saudi side to mount a full comeback. Star player Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, had a frustrating night, failing to score. His header hit the bar in the first half, and his stoppage-time free kick was saved by Yamaguchi.
Al Nassr are currently third in the Saudi Pro League, eight points behind leaders Al Ittihad with five games remaining in the season.
