The key facts

  • Pakhtakor lost 2:6 to Al-Nassr in the 4th round of the AFC Champions League Elite
  • Ronaldo did not fly to Tashkent, but Mane, Joao Felix, Inigo Martinez and others played
  • Pakhtakor — 12th place with 2 points, next match on 23 November against Al-Ittihad

A heavy home defeat

Tashkent's Pakhtakor, the vice-champion of Uzbekistan, lost 2:6 at home to Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr on 2 November in the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite league stage, Kun.uz reports. The match was officiated by a crew led by Australian referee Alexander King.

Stars without Ronaldo

Al-Nassr arrived in Tashkent without Cristiano Ronaldo, but the fans who filled Pakhtakor's stadium saw Sadio Mane, Joao Felix, Samuel Costa, Inigo Martinez and other well-known players in the visitors' lineup. Pakhtakor started with Vladimir Nazarov, Akmal Mozgovoy, Flamarion and Stefan Chinedu, while the team's head coach is listed as Emilian Caras from Moldova; the visitors are led by Australian Ange Postecoglou.

Course of the match and standings

The goals for the winners were scored by Abdullah Al-Hamdan (15th minute), Joao Felix (17th and 32nd), Abdullah Al-Amri (53rd), Abdulrahman Ghareeb (62nd) and Angelo (79th). For Pakhtakor, Flamarion (36th) and substitute Dostonbek Khamdamov (75th) got on the scoresheet. After this defeat, the Tashkent club sits 12th in the western region table with two points, while Al-Nassr moved up to fourth place with six points. Pakhtakor's next Champions League match will be away against Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad on 23 November.