Arkadag vs Al-Nassr: Al-Hamdan strike puts Saudis ahead in first leg

Al-Nassr took an early edge against Turkmenistan’s FK Arkadag in the AFC Champions League Two round of 16 first leg on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, with Abdullah Al-Hamdan scoring in the opening 20 minutes as the visitors pushed for control away from home. The match has carried added attention because Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel into the starting plan, leaving Al-Nassr to manage the tie without their most recognizable name.

Early breakthrough shifts the leg

Al-Nassr’s start was built around tempo and directness, and it produced the decisive moment of the first phase: Al-Hamdan found the net in the 19th minute to give the Saudi side a 1–0 advantage. From there, the visitors’ priority became game management—limiting transition chances and keeping Arkadag from feeding off the crowd and the altitude of the occasion.

Arkadag, a relatively new force on the continental stage, looked to settle through compact defending and quick counters, aiming to keep the tie within reach heading to the return leg. The home side’s best moments came when they forced Al-Nassr to defend wide areas and chase second balls rather than dictate.

Match at a glance

Why Ronaldo wasn’t involved

Ronaldo’s absence loomed over the build-up, but the team framed it as a rotation decision rather than an injury issue. With a packed calendar and a two-leg knockout to navigate, Al-Nassr leaned on squad depth—especially in the forward line and midfield—to secure an away advantage without escalating risk.

That approach also reduced the chance of the tie turning into a one-man narrative. Al-Nassr’s best route to the quarterfinals is still balance: early control, disciplined positioning, and finishing chances when the game opens up.

What Arkadag are trying to do

Arkadag’s challenge in a matchup like this is less about matching star power and more about controlling the “texture” of the game—keeping it scrappy, minimizing set-piece danger, and making the visitors feel the travel and unfamiliar environment.

The home side’s attacking plan has emphasized quick releases into space and late runners from midfield. Even when clear chances are limited, that style can create the kind of half-moments—deflections, rebounds, awkward clearances—that flip a tie, especially if the return leg pressure grows.

What changes the second leg

A 1–0 first-leg deficit leaves Arkadag with a clear mission for the return match: they must score, and they must do it without gifting Al-Nassr the type of open-field transitions that turn one goal into three.

For Al-Nassr, the priorities are straightforward:

• Avoid early chaos in the return leg.

• Score first and force Arkadag into a longer chase.

• Keep defensive spacing tight to prevent one “moment” from resetting the tie.

Selection decisions will matter, too. If Al-Nassr choose to reintroduce their biggest attacking names in the second leg, it raises the ceiling while also changing how Arkadag defend—often deeper, with fewer numbers committed forward.

The bigger regional stakes

This tie sits inside a broader trend in Asian club competition: teams from emerging leagues seeking legitimacy through knockout runs, while wealthier squads aim to turn depth and professionalism into predictable progress. For Arkadag, even keeping the tie alive late into the second leg can be a statement. For Al-Nassr, anything short of advancement would be viewed as a significant failure given expectations.

The return leg on Feb. 18 now carries a simple tension: Arkadag must take measured risks to find a goal, and Al-Nassr must prove they can finish the job—whether or not the spotlight follows Ronaldo back into the lineup.

Sources consulted: Asian Football Confederation; ESPN; SofaScore; Transfermarkt