A header from Aymeric Laporte in the 81st minute secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr over Iran’s Esteghlal in Dubai on Tuesday as Saudi Pro League clubs continued their dominance in the group stages of the revamped Asian Champions League.

The Riyadh-based side now has seven points from three games, trailing domestic rivals Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli by only two points in a highly competitive race for the top spot.

Esteghlal goalkeeper Seyed Hossein Hosseini was in a defiant mood in a match played on neutral soil because of security fears in Iran, repelling a series of efforts from the Al-Nassr attack, including an 81st-minute close-range header from Ronaldo. But Hosseini’s save pushed the ball into the air, presenting Laporte with the opportunity to react quickest and head home the rebound for what proved an important Al-Nassr win.

Al-Wasl defeated Qatar’s Al-Gharafa 2-1 away in Doha and moved to six points in the standings. Ferjani Sassi gave the hosts the lead just before half-time, but Fabio Lima equalized with six minutes remaining, and Isaac Success struck in stoppage time to complete the comeback for the Emirati side.

This victory consolidates Al-Nassr’s position for a knockout stage spot in the race. The top eight East and West Asian teams will advance to the round of 16 next March. The later rounds, including the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, will be played as one-off matches in Saudi Arabia during April and May. Big-spending Saudi clubs are tipped to make a strong push for the title.