Al-Nassr Thrash Pakhtakor 6-2 In Champions League Elite As Ronaldo Rests

By Trending9ja Staff • November 3, 2026 • 1 min read

Al-Nassr secured a dominant 6-2 victory against Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor in their AFC Champions League Elite match on Monday, despite playing without Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Head coach Ange Postecoglou chose to leave Ronaldo out of the squad alongside Kingsley Coman and Mohamed Simakan for the journey to Tashkent. According to Punch, citing reports from The Independent, Postecoglou stated that the decision was taken because of match pressures and heavy travel demands.

The trip took place amid broader security concerns in the region following alleged missile strikes directed at Saudi Arabia by Houthi rebels from Yemen. According to Associated Press reports cited by Punch, previous matches in the tournament had suffered delays and postponements due to these safety issues.

During the fixture at Pakhtakor Central Stadium, Al-Nassr quickly took control of the game. Abdullah Al-Hamdan opened the scoring in the 15th minute, while João Félix added two goals before the break. Second-half finishes from Abdulelah Al-Amri, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, and Ângelo completed the comprehensive win, while Flamarion and Dostonbek Khamdamov scored for Pakhtakor.

Saudi Press Agency reported that the result marked Al-Nassr's second triumph in the continental competition, moving the team to fourth place in the West Region standings with six points.

Ronaldo had previously recorded a hat-trick during Al-Nassr's 5-3 league victory against Al-Kholood, bringing his season tally to nine goals in 12 appearances and extending his career record to 985 total goals.

Sources: Punch