AFC - Al Nassr closed the gap on Group A leaders Persepolis to just a single point after a cracking effort by Adrian Mierzejewski and late goals by Fabian Estoyanoff and Hassan Al Raheb gave the Saudi league champions a 3-0 win at King Fahd International Stadium on Tuesday.

Mierzejewski fired home from range in the 32nd minute and Estoyanoff and Al Raheb struck in the closing minutes as Al Nassr picked up their first victory in the group after draws in their first two games against Uzbek side Bunyodkor and Qatari champions Lekhwiya.

Persepolis gave a good account of themselves for much of the game but they were left to rue their missed opportunities to grab an equaliser before the late goals as they dropped points for the first time in this season’s competition.

The home side had the first clear-cut opportunity of the match in the 18th minute when Shaya Sharahili’s cross from the right picked out an unmarked Armando Wila but the Ecuadorian volleyed his attempt into the ground and over the crossbar.

Omid Alishah twice tested Al Nassr goalkeeper Abdullah Al Enezi in the opening half with a header that was tipped over the crossbar in the 22ndminute and a curling effort on the half-hour that Al Enezi was able to bat away.

The hosts then took the lead just after the half-hour mark with a well-taken effort by Mierzejewski. The Polish midfielder exchanged a one-two with Mohammed Al Sahlawi on the edge of the Persepolis box before launching a stinging drive from 20 metres that gave goalkeeper Sousha Makani little chance.

The visitors had their chances to level the score before the half-time break. First, Alishah just missed connecting with a header in front of the yawning goalmouth and then Hadi Norozi cut the ball back for Mehdi Taremi who dragged his attempt wastefully wide.

Al Nassr could have put the game away early in the second half when Ahmed Al Fraidi saw his low shot blocked by Mohsen Bengar and Mohamed Husain headed narrowly wide.

Substitute Ali Alipour should have levelled things up when he sent a diving header straight at Al Enazi in the 85th minute but Al Nassr would pull away when Estanoyoff found the net two minutes later after the Uruguayan received the ball on right of the Persepolis box and lashed a rising shot between the legs of Alireza Nourmohammadi and into the far corner of the net.

With Persepolis pushing for a late response they were caught on the counterattack for a third goal deep into stoppage time when substitute Al Raheb burst clear from his own half with a lung-bursting run before slotting past a helpless Makani.