"The best Cristiano Ronaldo has played with" - Fans praise 21-year-old star as Al-Nassr thrash Esteghlal to reach AFC Champions League quarterfinals 

Al-Nassr fans on social media have showered praise on Cristiano Ronaldo's attacking partner Jhon Duran after his impressive outing against Esteghlal. The 21-year-old scored a brace as Al-Nassr defeated the Iranian club 3-0 in the AFC Champions League Round of 16 second-leg at Al-Awwal Park on Monday, March 10.

The Knights of Najd had earlier played out a goalless draw during the first leg in Iran, making the return leg a must-win game. Duran gave his side the needed advantage nine minutes into the game. The Colombian star capitalized on an error by Esteghlal's goalkeeper, giving Al-Nassr the lead.

Cristiano Ronaldo extended Al-Nassr's lead in the 27th minute. Esteghlal were penalized for a foul in the box, and the Portuguese skipper stepped up to score the resulting penalty. The visitors were reduced to 10 men just before halftime after Mehran Ahmadi was given his marching orders following a second yellow card.

With the numerical advantage, Al-Nassr dominated the game. Duran scored again in the 84th minute to seal the victory and ensure a quarter-final ticket for Stefano Pioli's side.

Aside from his brace, the former Aston Villa star created two chances and hit the woodwork once. He landed three shots on target from four attempts and recorded six touches in the opposition's box.

Fans were impressed with Duran's performance and took to X to praise him. One fan claimed that the Colombian is the best striker Cristiano Ronaldo has played with in his career, writing:

"Jhon Duran is genuinely the best striker Cristiano Ronaldo has played with in his career."

Another fan acknowledged Duran's impact since joining the Knights of Najd, saying:

"Safe to say Jhon Duran is actually the perfect signing for Al-Nassr than our brother would probably have been, yea?"

"He came correct today and has showed us glimpses of what he is truly capable of," a fan commented.

"This is how we want y’all to play for the GOAT every week," another fan tweeted.

"Jhon Duran, give him the ball, watch the magic," yet another fan praised the Al-Nassr forward.

Duran has registered six goals in eight matches since joining the Riyadh-based club in January for a reported £65 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo becomes joint-top scorer in this season's AFC Champions League after goal against Esteghlal

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is gunning for the 2025 AFC Champions League Golden Boot. The Portuguese legend's goal against Esteghlal in the Round of 16 second leg took his tally to seven goals in six AFC Champions League matches this term.

Ronaldo is currently one of the tournament's joint-leading goalscorers alongside Anderson Lopes (Yokohama F. Marinos), Jasir Amir (Gwangju FC), and Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal).

Overall, the 40-year-old has 27 goals and four assists in 32 matches across competitions for Al-Nassr this season. His overall career tally stands at 927 goals and 267 assists in 1268 games.