Al Ain will take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their Asian Champions League quarter final against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr next week after the side from the United Arab Emirates’ saw off the 10-man Saudi Pro League outfit on Monday.

Soufiane Rahimi’s 44th-minute strike earned Hernan Crespo’s side a slender advantage for the home side, with former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte ruled out of the return after his late sendingoff.

Referee Hiroyuki Kimura dismissed Laporte for violent conduct four minutes into added time following a tussle with Bandar Al Ahbabi to bring a fraught end to a high-octane clash at a packed Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.

A minute remaining in the first half, the home side went ahead as Rahimi rounded off a flowing move.

Moments later Khalid Eisa denied Ronaldo an equaliser with a strong hand to keep out the Portuguese forward’s low effort to his right.

A disjointed second half came to life in the later stages, with Eisa denying Ronaldo again with 10 minutes remaining, the UAE international pulling off an instinctive save to block a shot from seven yards out.