DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — In an exciting matchup of the Asian Champions League group stage on Tuesday, Aymeric Laporte scored a late header to secure a narrow 1-0 victory for Al-Nassr against Esteghlal from Iran. This win allowed Saudi Arabia to continue its remarkable performance in the tournament.

After three rounds of the group stage, all three Saudi teams are still unbeaten. Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli sit at the top two positions, having each earned nine points, while Al-Nassr trails closely in fourth place with just two points less.

Due to security concerns in Iran, the match was relocated from Tehran to Dubai in the UAE, providing a neutral ground for both teams.

Coach Stefano Pioli expressed gratitude towards the enthusiastic Al-Nassr supporters, saying, “It was wonderful to see our fans turn out and support us; we were eager to deliver a victory for them.” He added, “I’m pleased with our performance. We faced a challenging game under difficult circumstances, but we ultimately secured the win.”

Throughout most of the match, scoring opportunities were scarce. Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo had a couple of shots, including one powerful header that was saved, though he also sent another effort off target. Nevertheless, Laporte managed to find the net, heading in the rebound after Ronaldo’s attempt was parried by the goalkeeper, scoring with just nine minutes remaining.

In other noteworthy matches within the western group, the Dubai-based club Al-Wasl triumphed over Al-Gharafa of Qatar, winning 2-1.

In the eastern region, South Korea’s Gwangju FC is the only team with a flawless record, having achieved a 2-1 victory against Johor Darul Tazim from Malaysia.

The Central Coast Mariners, the sole representative from Australia, experienced a setback, losing 3-2 against Shanghai Port and failing to gain any points thus far.

In another encounter, three-time champions Pohang Steelers from South Korea were defeated 1-0 by Buriram of Thailand. Meanwhile, a thrilling match between Shandong Taishan from China and Japan’s Yokohama F. Marinos ended in a 2-2 draw.