Security alert fails to stop Cristiano and Al Nassr from winning

A security alert in Riyadh did not prevent Cristiano and Al Nassr from overcoming Neftchi Fargonza: the Saudi club won 3-1 for its first victory in the Asian Champions League. Kick-off was delayed by an hour, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored to take his career tally to 981 goals as a professional.

The second-round match at King Saud University Stadium came close to being called off. Missile threats had put the safety of the Saudi capital at risk. After an alert from the authorities and announcements over the venue’s loudspeakers, the players returned to the dressing rooms during the warm-up. The situation then calmed, and the match was played as normal.

Al Nassr went ahead on the half-hour when Angelo finished from the penalty spot after Nawaf Boushal’s cutback. Just before the break, Cristiano received the ball from Ayman Yahya and scored with a turn. Neftchi Fargonza pulled one back early in the second half through Alisher Odilov, but an own goal by Anvarjou Gofurov with 15 minutes remaining restored Al Nassr’s two-goal lead.

The win answered Al Nassr’s heavy 4-0 defeat to Al Ain in the opening round. Neftchi Fargonza, meanwhile, had beaten Al Quwa 1-0 in its first match, with Marcus Forss’s goal later ruled out for offside.