RIYADH — Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 981st career goal as Al-Nassr beat Uzbekistan's Neftchi Fergana 3-1 in an AFC Champions League Group B match delayed by an hour due to a missile alert in Riyadh on Monday. The Saudi Pro League champions secured their first Group B victory of the campaign after kickoff was pushed back following a safety warning.
Ange Postecoglou's team went ahead through Angelo in the 33rd minute before Ronaldo doubled the lead before half-time. The Uzbekistan champions pulled a goal back after the break, but were reduced to 10 men after 65 minutes and an own goal 13 minutes later sealed the 3-1 result for the hosts.
Kickoff was delayed after Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence issued a safety warning just 15 minutes before the scheduled start time in the capital, which has been the target of missiles fired from Yemen-based Houthis. Following attacks on Riyadh's airport, explosions were heard in the capital on Monday night and the Saudi-led military coalition said a ballistic missile had been intercepted and destroyed.
Ronaldo also scored on Friday when making his return to club football, having left the Portugal national team camp halfway through the Nations League break out of frustration at limited playing opportunities. He is now closing on a milestone 1,000 career goals. Future sporting events could be affected by the regional conflict, including Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. F1 is pressing ahead with plans to run both races, with the UK Foreign Office not advising against travel but warning there is "a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region." As Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff put it on Sunday: "Whether Qatar and Abu Dhabi happens at the moment, everybody says so, and so we need to go the direction of this is six more races to go." If escalation follows the US mid-term elections on Nov. 3 and races are cancelled at late notice, Imola in Italy is being prepared as a back-up option for the weekend of Abu Dhabi.