Al Nassr overcome Neftchi with three goals led by Cristiano Ronaldo in AFC Champions League Elite

Al Nassr regained their continental balance after defeating Uzbek side Neftchi 3-1 at home in a match held at Al Awal Park in Riyadh, as part of the second round of the AFC Champions League Elite.

The match witnessed a one-hour delay from its original start time due to a security alert in the capital Riyadh following the interception and destruction of a ballistic missile, before preparations were allowed to resume and the kickoff whistle was blown after the situation stabilized.

Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the 33rd minute, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo doubling the lead with a second goal in the 42nd minute, benefiting from Ayman Yahya's pass and Sadio Mané's cross.

With the start of the second half, Alisher Odilov reduced the deficit for Neftchi in the 51st minute, but Al Nassr secured the match with a third goal that came from an own goal, as Anvarjon Guforov scored by mistake into his own net.

The victory allowed Al Nassr to collect their first three points in the competition, compensating for their opening defeat against Al-Ain by a four-goal margin, thus boosting their hopes of competing for one of the eight spots qualifying for the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Neftchi faces the necessity of quickly correcting their course.