Uzbekistan's vice-champions Pakhtakor Tashkent faced a disappointing 2:6 defeat at home against Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr during the fourth round of the AFC Champions League Elite stage, displaying notable defensive vulnerabilities throughout the match.

Interestingly, the visiting Saudi side arrived in Tashkent without their marquee star Cristiano Ronaldo and Kingsley Coman. Despite their absence, the crowd at the Pakhtakor Stadium still witnessed a star-studded lineup featuring Sadio Mané, João Félix, Samuel Costa, and Iñigo Martínez, who thoroughly dominated the proceedings on the pitch.

The Tashkent club struggled to contain the opposition's relentless attacks. João Félix netted a brace for the visitors, while Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Abdullah Al-Amri, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, and Angelo also added their names to the scoresheet. Pakhtakor managed to respond only through goals by Flamarion and substitute Dostonbek Khamdamov.

Following this severe setback, Emilian Caras's side currently sits in 12th place in the standings with just 2 points. Pakhtakor is scheduled to play their next Elite ACL fixture away against another Saudi powerhouse, Al-Ittihad, on November 23.

Source: kun.uz