Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr match delayed by an hour after missile threat in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a safety warning around 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the match, amid missile attacks claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels in recent days. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh on Monday, while at least three explosions were heard in the city that evening.

The alert disrupted preparations at Al-Awwal Park, where the teams had been due to begin their continental campaign. A sparse crowd remained in the stands as the players waited for the situation to be resolved. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence subsequently announced that the danger had passed, allowing the fixture to proceed after the hour-long delay.

The match went ahead against a tense security backdrop, with the incident drawing attention away from the action on the pitch before kick-off. Al-Nassr eventually overcame the interruption to register a 3-1 victory, with Ronaldo scoring before half-time.

Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the 33rd minute with a deflected strike. Ronaldo then doubled the hosts' lead nine minutes later, finishing a move involving two of his teammates.

Sadio Mane delivered a looping cross from the left, and Aiman Yahya directed the ball into Ronaldo's path with his chest. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward struck on the turn, sending the ball into the bottom corner to give Al-Nassr a two-goal cushion before the break.

Neftchi Fergana responded six minutes into the second half, with Alisher Odilov pulling one back to give the visitors a route back into the contest. However, their task became more difficult when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Mohamed Simakan.

Al-Nassr made their numerical advantage count late in the game, sealing the 3-1 win in the 78th minute when Neftchi defender Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal.

The result gave Al-Nassr a positive outcome on a night when the security alert had threatened to overshadow the fixture.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr were forced to wait an hour before kicking off their AFC Champions League Elite fixture against Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana on Monday after a security alert in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a safety warning around 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the match, amid missile attacks claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels in recent days. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh on Monday, while at least three explosions were heard in the city that evening.

The alert disrupted preparations at Al-Awwal Park, where the teams had been due to begin their continental campaign. A sparse crowd remained in the stands as the players waited for the situation to be resolved. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence subsequently announced that the danger had passed, allowing the fixture to proceed after the hour-long delay.

The match went ahead against a tense security backdrop, with the incident drawing attention away from the action on the pitch before kick-off. Al-Nassr eventually overcame the interruption to register a 3-1 victory, with Ronaldo scoring before half-time.

Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the 33rd minute with a deflected strike. Ronaldo then doubled the hosts' lead nine minutes later, finishing a move involving two of his teammates.

Sadio Mane delivered a looping cross from the left, and Aiman Yahya directed the ball into Ronaldo's path with his chest. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward struck on the turn, sending the ball into the bottom corner to give Al-Nassr a two-goal cushion before the break.

Neftchi Fergana responded six minutes into the second half, with Alisher Odilov pulling one back to give the visitors a route back into the contest. However, their task became more difficult when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Mohamed Simakan.

Al-Nassr made their numerical advantage count late in the game, sealing the 3-1 win in the 78th minute when Neftchi defender Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal.

The result gave Al-Nassr a positive outcome on a night when the security alert had threatened to overshadow the fixture.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr were forced to wait an hour before kicking off their AFC Champions League Elite fixture against Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana on Monday after a security alert in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a safety warning around 15 minutes before the scheduled start of the match, amid missile attacks claimed by Yemen-based Houthi rebels in recent days. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh on Monday, while at least three explosions were heard in the city that evening.

The alert disrupted preparations at Al-Awwal Park, where the teams had been due to begin their continental campaign. A sparse crowd remained in the stands as the players waited for the situation to be resolved. Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence subsequently announced that the danger had passed, allowing the fixture to proceed after the hour-long delay.

The match went ahead against a tense security backdrop, with the incident drawing attention away from the action on the pitch before kick-off. Al-Nassr eventually overcame the interruption to register a 3-1 victory, with Ronaldo scoring before half-time.

Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the 33rd minute with a deflected strike. Ronaldo then doubled the hosts' lead nine minutes later, finishing a move involving two of his teammates.

Sadio Mane delivered a looping cross from the left, and Aiman Yahya directed the ball into Ronaldo's path with his chest. The 41-year-old Portuguese forward struck on the turn, sending the ball into the bottom corner to give Al-Nassr a two-goal cushion before the break.

Neftchi Fergana responded six minutes into the second half, with Alisher Odilov pulling one back to give the visitors a route back into the contest. However, their task became more difficult when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Mohamed Simakan.

Al-Nassr made their numerical advantage count late in the game, sealing the 3-1 win in the 78th minute when Neftchi defender Anvarjon Gofurov scored an own goal.

The result gave Al-Nassr a positive outcome on a night when the security alert had threatened to overshadow the fixture.