Al-Ain made a commanding start to their 2026–27 AFC Champions League Elite campaign, sweeping aside Al Nassr 4-0 at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
The hosts gradually grew into the contest and were rewarded in the 25th minute when Houssine Rahimi broke the deadlock. His opener gave Al-Ain the momentum they needed and left Al Nassr facing an uphill battle before half-time.
After the restart, Al Nassr struggled to find a response as Al-Ain continued to dictate the tempo. Their pressure eventually paid off again in the 63rd minute, with Rahimi finding the net for a second time to complete his brace and give the hosts a commanding two-goal advantage.
With Al Nassr now forced to push forward in search of a way back into the game, Al-Ain found even more space to exploit. That pressure resulted in a third goal in the 72nd minute, as Soufiane Rahimi added his name to the scoresheet and put the hosts firmly in control.
Al Nassr were unable to recover from the setback, and Al-Ain continued to threaten as the final stages approached. Their persistence was rewarded once more in the 85th minute when Giorgos Giakoumakis struck to make it 4-0.
From Rahimi’s first-half opener to Giakoumakis’ late finish, Al-Ain steadily turned their early advantage into a complete demolition of their Saudi Arabian opponents.
The emphatic victory gives Al-Ain a perfect opening to their Champions League Elite campaign, while Al-Nassr will have to regroup after a difficult night in the UAE.
