Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 981st goal of his career on Monday as Al Nassr beat Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite. The match at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh started an hour late after a missile alert.
Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a safety warning about 15 minutes before the scheduled 9.15pm kick-off. The Saudi-led military coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles fired towards the capital by the Houthis, according to The Guardian. The broadcaster covering the game announced the one-hour delay, while the stadium announcer told spectators the situation was safe and asked them to stay in their seats.
ESPN reported that at least three explosions were heard in the city on Monday night. Residents received phone alerts warning of a hostile aerial threat and telling them to stay away from windows and doors.
Ange Postecoglou's side went ahead in the 33rd minute through Ângelo Gabriel's deflected strike. Ronaldo doubled the lead nine minutes later, turning the ball in after Sadio Mane's cross from the left was chested into his path by Aiman Yahya, CNA reported. It was his 134th goal for Al Nassr since he joined the club in January 2023.
Match highlights published by The AFC Hub show Ronaldo's finish and the goals either side of it.
Alisher Odilov pulled one back for the Uzbek side six minutes into the second half. Neftchi's task grew harder when Ikromjon Alibaev was sent off in the 65th minute for a foul on Mohamed Simakan, and Anvarjon Gofurov's own goal 13 minutes later restored Al Nassr's two-goal cushion.
The win was Al Nassr's first of the campaign under Postecoglou, after a 4-0 defeat by Al Ain on 15 September. Ronaldo played days after Portugal provisionally suspended him for leaving the national team camp during the international break. The Portuguese football federation confirmed on Saturday that disciplinary proceedings had been opened and referred to its Disciplinary Investigation Commission.
Riyadh has been hit repeatedly in recent days. King Khalid International Airport stayed closed until Saturday after strikes that killed at least 13 people and wounded more than 300, as GlobeTV reported.