FC Istiklol vs. Al Nassr Result: Ronaldo Watches as Najd's Squad Runs 4-0 to Advance to the Round of 16

Cristiano Ronaldo watched on as Al Nassr advanced to the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League 2 after thrashing Tajikistan's FC Istiklol.

The FC Istiklol vs. Al Nassr match on matchday five of the AFC Champions League 2 at Almaty Stadium, Tajikistan, ended with a 0-4 victory for Najd's Squad on Wednesday (November 26, 2025).

In the 45th minute of the first half, Al Nassr took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty kick from Joao Felix. Jorge Jesus' squad doubled their lead in the 41st minute through Mohamed Simakan.

After the break, Al Nassr secured the win through goals from Sadio Mane in the 84th minute and Ayman Yahya in the 90+2nd minute. This victory secured Al Nassr's qualification for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League 2.

Al Nassr firmly sits atop Group D in the AFC Champions League 2 with 15 points from five matches. The spotlight is on Al Nassr's superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 was not included in the starting lineup for this match. He wasn't even named as a substitute.

This means that in all five group stage matches Al Nassr have played in this season's Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo has not played. Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus has not even included the Portuguese national team player in his starting lineup.

FC Istiklol vs. Al Nassr Match Prediction

Al Nassr, playing as the visiting team, pressed from the first-half whistle. Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr played an open game. Less than five minutes into the first half, Al Nassr created a chance to open the scoring.

It was a pass from Angelo, which went straight to Joao Felix. With a slight push into the FC Istiklol penalty box, the former AC Milan player finished with a tap-in.

Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo's compatriot's effort was off target. Not wanting to be a puncher for Al Nassr, FC Istiklol tried to play an open game. Two minutes later, it was Istiklol's turn to have a chance through Rustam Soirov's tap-in.

Fortunately, his tap-in was well-considered by the home team's goalkeeper. Al Nassr was awarded a penalty in the 11th minute after Al Najdi was fouled by FC Istiklol goalkeeper Stosic. The referee didn't hesitate to award the penalty kick as Al Nassr's reward.

The goal the visitors had been waiting for arrived. This time, it was Joao Felix who got his name on the scoresheet in the 12th minute from the penalty spot. The scoreline read 0-1.

The one-goal lead didn't deter Al Nassr from letting up. In contrast, Jorge Jesus' squad grew increasingly eager to score again. Conversely, FC Istiklol struggled to develop their game. The presence of Marcelo Brozovic in midfield allowed Al Nassr to dominate the game.

This resulted in FC Istiklol being forced to use counter-attacking tactics due to their limited possession. In the 30th minute, Al Nassr nearly doubled their lead. Brozovic's cross from the right flank found Mohammed Manan, who escaped his marker.

Unfortunately, the Al Nassr striker's header sailed just over the home team's crossbar. Two minutes later, Manan again threatened FC Istiklol's goal on the counter-attack. His shot from the edge of the penalty area was blocked by the home defender.

In the 35th minute, the score was 0-1 in favor of Joao Felix and his teammates. With four minutes left of regulation time, Al Nassr doubled their lead. This time, it was Mohamed Simakan's turn to score with a tap-in from inside the penalty box.

The score remained 0-2 in Al Nassr's favor until halftime. In the second half, Al Nassr immediately attacked Istiklol's defense, looking to add to their tally.

However, until the 60th minute, Joao Felix and his teammates had failed to increase their lead. Al Nassr finally managed to add to their tally in the 80th minute.

Starting from a through ball from Joao Felix, Sadio Mane broke through the defense and fired the ball into Istiklol's goal. Two minutes later, Sadio Mane had a golden opportunity when the Istiklol goalkeeper had left his goal.

However, his shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by an Istiklol defender in front of goal. In the 90+2 minute, Al Nassr's goal fest continued when Ayman Yahya's plessing shot hit the Istiklol goal.

The goal secured Al Nassr's 4-0 victory over FC Istiklol, and ensured Joao Felix and his teammates qualified for the last 16 of the AFC Champions League Two.