Al-Nassr beat Pakhtakor 6-2 as Joao Felix stars

Joao Felix scored twice and created two more goals as Al-Nassr, without the rested Cristiano Ronaldo, swept Pakhtakor aside 6-2 in Tashkent in the AFC Champions League Elite.

By StoryTimesNow News Desk — 02 November 2026, 11:04 PM IST

Symbolic illustration of an empty floodlit football stadium at night, with a single football on the centre spot on green grass and no players shown. — Symbolic illustration of a floodlit stadium at night.

Key Takeaways

What happened: Al-Nassr beat Pakhtakor 6-2 in Tashkent on 2 November 2026 in Matchday 4 of the AFC Champions League Elite, leading 3-1 at half-time.
Who is affected: Joao Felix was the difference, scoring twice and setting up two more goals, while Pakhtakor were left winless in four league-phase matches.
What next: Al-Nassr, reported to have a game in hand, can build on a second straight win, while Pakhtakor urgently need a first win.

Tashkent: Al-Nassr produced a ruthless attacking display in Uzbekistan on Monday, beating Pakhtakor 6-2 in the AFC Champions League Elite as Joao Felix ran the match from the front. The Saudi side were 3-0 up inside 32 minutes, led 3-1 at half-time, and scored three more after the break.

The result, in Matchday 4 of the 2026-27 competition, was the top uncovered trend on Google Trends India. It also underlined Al-Nassr's depth: Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the squad, with reports describing him as rested, and Felix stepped into the spotlight instead.

What Happened?

Al-Nassr struck first in the 15th minute, when Abdullah Al-Hamdan finished after being played through by Felix. Two minutes later Felix doubled the lead, punishing a mistake in Pakhtakor's build-up, and on the half-hour mark he completed his brace from a move involving Sadio Mane to make it 3-0.

Pakhtakor pulled one back before the interval through Flamarion Jovino Filho in the 36th minute, but Al-Nassr ended any comeback hopes after the restart. Felix delivered the corner from which Abdulelah Al-Amri headed home in the 53rd minute, and Abdulrahman Ghareeb finished from Mane's cross in the 62nd minute to make it 5-1.

Substitute Dostonbek Khamdamov made it 5-2 in the 75th minute, but Al-Nassr had the final word four minutes later, when Al-Hamdan crossed for Angelo Gabriel to tap in. The Asian Football Confederation described Al-Nassr as making the win look easy and securing a second straight victory in the competition.

15 min: Al-Hamdan scores, assisted by Felix, 0-1.
17 min: Felix scores, 0-2.
32 min: Felix scores again, assisted by Mane, 0-3.
36 min: Flamarion scores, 1-3 at half-time.
53 min: Al-Amri heads home from a Felix corner, 1-4.
62 min: Ghareeb scores, assisted by Mane, 1-5.
75 min: Khamdamov scores, 2-5.
79 min: Angelo scores, assisted by Al-Hamdan, 2-6.

Why Does This Matter?

For Al-Nassr, this was more than three points. Winning 6-2 away from home sends a message about the depth of their attack: when a team can leave out Ronaldo and still score six times, opponents cannot simply plan for one player. Felix showed the range of his game, with two goals, two assists, and involvement in the opening four Al-Nassr goals.

For Pakhtakor, the concern is defensive. Al-Nassr made the victory look easy, according to the Asian Football Confederation report, and the home side have now gone four league-phase matches without a win. Conceding three goals in the first 32 minutes left them with a mountain to climb.

For Indian readers, the match also matters because of the growing pull of Asian club football and of the stars involved. Ronaldo's absence was itself part of the story, and Felix's performance gives Al-Nassr a second match-winner to rely on when their captain is rested.

Important Details

Final score: Pakhtakor 2, Al-Nassr 6, at Pakhtakor Central Stadium, Tashkent, on Monday, 2 November 2026.
Joao Felix: Two goals in the 17th and 32nd minutes, plus assists for Al-Hamdan's opener and Al-Amri's header.
Match statistics: Pakhtakor had 50.4 percent possession and 16 shots, five on target; Al-Nassr had 49.6 percent and 14 shots, eight on target, per ESPN-derived match data.
Competition position: Arab News reported Al-Nassr reached six points from three matches, with a game in hand after their match against Al-Wasl was postponed.

Background and Context

The AFC Champions League Elite is Asia's leading club competition. Matchday 4 is a useful checkpoint: teams that have banked early wins can start to plan for qualification, while teams still searching for a first win face growing pressure.

Al-Nassr arrived in Tashkent as favourites, and the early goals reflected that status. Pakhtakor have found the step up difficult, and the defeat extends a winless run across four league-phase matches. Their remaining fixtures now carry much greater weight.

What Happens Next?

Al-Nassr will look to carry this momentum into their remaining league-phase fixtures, with a game in hand. If Felix maintains this form, and Ronaldo returns refreshed, their attack will be difficult for any side to contain.

Pakhtakor need to regroup quickly. Their remaining league-phase matches are now must-win territory in practical terms, even if qualification is not yet mathematically out of reach. Tightening up in the opening half-hour, when they conceded three times in Tashkent, will be the first priority.

What Readers Should Know

This article reports the final result as confirmed on 2 November 2026 by the Asian Football Confederation and corroborated by reports published the same day. The hero image is a symbolic illustration, not a match photograph.

FAQs

What was the final score between Pakhtakor and Al-Nassr?

Al-Nassr won 6-2 in Tashkent on 2 November 2026, leading 3-1 at half-time before scoring three more goals in the second half.

Why did Cristiano Ronaldo not play?

Ronaldo was left out of the Al-Nassr squad for the match in Tashkent, with reports describing him as rested. Joao Felix took the central attacking role in his absence and was reported as the man of the match.

How many goals and assists did Joao Felix have?

Felix scored twice, in the 17th and 32nd minutes, and assisted two goals: Abdullah Al-Hamdan's opener and Abdulelah Al-Amri's header from a corner.

Sources and Verification

Final score, scorers and the Asian Football Confederation's match summary were taken from the AFC report published on 2 November 2026. Goal times, assists and statistics were cross-checked against ESPN-derived match data and reports by Arab News and Ummid published the same day.

Editorial Note

This report is based on coverage published on 2 November 2026. If the AFC or the clubs publish corrected official match data, this article will be updated.

Joao Felix stars as Al-Nassr thrash Pakhtakor 6-2 in Tashkent