Al Nassr Club made it look easy as they brushed aside Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor 6-2 in their AFC Champions League Elite clash on Monday to secure their second straight win.
A brace by Joao Felix followed Abdullah Al Hamddan’s 15th-minute opener to set up the Saudi Arabia side nicely in the first half, with Abdulelah Al Amri, Abdulrahman Ghareeb and Angelo then consigning Pakhtakor to their fourth straight winless match.
Al Nassr, playing without Cristiano Ronaldo, had the home side backpedalling minutes into the match as Al Hamddan rocked the right post after coming in from behind the defence.
Pakhtakor had their chance in the ninth minute but an alert Bento Krepski came off his line to block Stephen Chinedu, the keeper then denying the Nigerian again moments later.
Three minutes after Al Hamddan had his attempt saved by Vladimir Nazarov, the striker – teed up by Joao Felix – weaved his way between two defenders in the 15th minute and slammed the ball past the keeper.
Al Nassr didn’t give their opponents time to breathe, with Felix playing finisher two minutes later when he picked up a loose ball off a defensive error, side-stepped defender Muhammadrasul Abdumajidov and slammed home into the top centre.
Akmal Mozgovoy found the back of the Al Nassr net in the 25th minute to the roars of the crowd, but the midfielder’s effort was ruled offside after a VAR review.
The visitors then proceeded to rub salt in Pakhtakor’s wound, some good work down the left by Sadio Mane in the 32nd minute setting up Felix to rifle his shot past Nazarov, the ball rolling in after slipping from the custodian’s grasp
An unmarked Flamarion pulled one back in the 36th minute when he coolly side-footed Sherzod Nasrullaev’s cutback from the left past a hesitating Al Nassr defence and Krepski, with the goal confirmed by VAR.
Al Nassr seized possession again after the restart and stretched their lead eight minutes in, Al Amri rising highest to meet Felix’s corner and steering his header into the bottom left past a flat-footed Nazarov.
Mane played creator once more when he burst down the left in the 62nd minute and passed to an unguarded Ghareeb, who turned and sent the ball past the Pakhtakor keeper’s reach.
Krepski, who made two reflexive saves from Abdumajidov in the 73rd minute, was however beaten two minutes later when Dostonbek Khamdamov brushed aside Inigo Martinez’s challenge and chipped over the keeper.
Al Nassr replied with a sixth and final goal in the 79th minute when Angelo arrived unnoticed at the far post and tapped in Al Hamddan’s cross into an empty net.
RESULTS
Al Nassr Club (Ksa) bt Pakhtakor (Uzb) 6-2
Al Qadsiah Cub (Ksa) bt Al Gharafa (Qat) 5-0
Al Ain (UAE) bt Al Ittihad (Ksa) 4-1
Tractor (Iri) drew PFC Neftchi (Uzb) 2-2
Al Sadd (Qat) drew Al Ahli Saudi (Ksa) 0-0
Al Wasi (UAE) bt Air Force (Irq)
