The match places Al-Nassr at the top of Group E in the tournament on course for the knockout stages.

Footballing legend Cristiano Ronaldo marked his presence on the pitch on Tuesday after striking two goals and an assist to lead Al-Nassr to victory against Al-Duhail in a thrilling AFC Champions League group stage match.

Ronaldo’s performance resulted in a 4-3 win against the Qatari side, which knocked in three goals in the second half after falling behind 1-0 in the first 45minutes.

Returning from half-time, Al Duhail displayed their attacking threat with Ismaeel Mohammed opening the scoring to instil some hope into the Qatari team.

However, the Saudi side ignited their tempo soon after with a sublime distant strike from Ronaldo.

In the 67th minute, Almoez Ali pulled another goal for Al Duhail as his deflected shot found the back of the net.

Drawing nine minutes on the clock, the Portuguese striker secured the match with another low-shot goal against the goalkeeper.

A last-minute goal by Micheal Olunga raised the scoring tally for the Qatari squad, but it was a little too late as Al Nassr secured the victory.

The Saudi side is now on course to reach the knockout stages, with Ronaldo sharing a celebratory message with Al-Nassr fans: “Special night in Riyadh. 3 wins out of 3 and top of the group! Happy 68 years to Al-Nassr,” he said, referring to the 68th anniversary of the club.

The two sides will battle it out on the second leg in a match in Qatar on November 7.