Ronaldo scores as Al-Nassr beat Neftchi after security delay

On Monday, Al-Nassr secured a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan's Neftchi in the AFC Champions League Elite after a security delay caused an hour-long interruption. The match, played in Riyadh, was initially delayed due to a safety warning issued by Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence 15 minutes before kickoff. The warning came amid recent missile strikes from Yemen-based Houthis targeting Riyadh.

Al-Nassr took the lead in the 33rd minute through Angelo's deflected goal. Cristiano Ronaldo scored Al-Nassr's second goal in the 42nd minute after receiving a pass from Sadio Mane. Ronaldo converted the opportunity by striking the ball into the bottom corner with his chest. Neftchi managed to pull one back with a goal by Alisher Odilov six minutes into the second half, but Ikromjon Alibaev received a red card for fouling Mohamed Simakan in the 65th minute. An own goal by Anvarjon Gofurov in the 76th minute sealed Al-Nassr's triumph.

In other matches, Al-Ahli from the UAE secured their first win of the new campaign with a 3-1 victory over Al-Wasl. Marino Pusic's side took the lead with a header from Roger Ibanez in the 20th minute. Trincao scored for Al-Ahli in the 3rd minute of stoppage time, and they added two more goals in the second half, taking them to a four-point total from their opening two matches. Trincao attributed their success to their improved physical condition compared to Neftchi.

Elsewhere, Al-Ain defeated Air Force Club 4-1 in Basra, with Houssine Rahimi scoring twice. Iran's Esteghlal also won 2-1 against Al-Gharafa, with Hossein Goudarzi's 60th-minute goal securing the win. Pakhtakor and Al-Qadsiah played to a 1-1 draw after a last-minute penalty from Dostonbek Khamdamov for Pakhtakor salvaged the match. Tractor from Iran ended their match against Qatar's Al-Shamal in a 0-0 draw.