It was an uneasy start to the night in Riyadh, where Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League Elite fixture against Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fargona was held up for almost an hour after a ballistic missile aimed at the Saudi capital was intercepted and destroyed.
Players and supporters were already inside Al-Awwal Park when the security situation forced the delay to Monday evening’s second league-phase matchday. Stadium announcements instructed fans to remain in their seats and not leave the stands, while assuring them that the situation was under control. Once calm had been confirmed, the Asian Football Confederation gave approval for the match to go ahead.
The eventual kick-off brought an early concern for Kingsley Coman. The former France international, starting on Al-Nassr’s right flank, was forced off only 12 minutes into the game after sustaining an injury. The nature and severity of the problem were not specified.
Cristiano Ronaldo nevertheless gave Al-Nassr a lift before the interval. In the 42nd minute, he met Ayman Yahya’s chest lay-off with a volley from inside the penalty area, scoring the 981st goal of his career.
