Kolkata, November 6: Al Nassr showed their quality and experience as they secured a comfortable 4-0 victory over FC Goa in the AFC Champions League Two clash at the Al Awwal Park on Thursday night.

From the opening minutes, the home side looked confident in possession, while Goa tried to stay compact and break forward when possible. Boris Singh had an early chance for the Gaurs in the 7th minute after sprinting down the left flank, but his cross towards Brison Fernandes was intercepted before it could reach the target.

Al Nassr slowly took control of the game, with Abdulrahman Ghareeb proving lively on the left wing. His persistence was rewarded in the 35th minute when he opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick that struck the underside of the bar before finding the net, leaving Hrithik Tiwari with no chance.

The Saudi side doubled their lead soon after the break. In the 53rd minute, Ghareeb once again found himself in space inside the box after a quick exchange of passes and calmly slotted the ball into the net, his second goal of the night.

Goa’s best opportunity came around the hour mark when Dejan Drazic forced a sharp save from Al Nassr’s goalkeeper, but that was as close as the Gaurs came to scoring. Moments later, Al Nassr struck again, Meshari’s low cross was turned in by Marran in the 65th minute to make it 3-0.

The home fans were treated to one more moment of brilliance in the 84th minute. Sadio Mane showed a glimpse of his trademark flair, dribbling past his marker set the ball inside the box , which substitute Felix finished with a spectacular acrobatic volley to seal the win.

Despite Goa’s hard work and discipline, Al Nassr’s class and finishing touch made the difference. The Saudi club took all three points with authority, while the Indian side will look to regroup ahead of their next group game.

For FC Goa, this result comes after their 2-1 loss in the previous fixture, where they had shown determination by pulling one back in Fatorda. That fighting spirit, however, wasn’t enough to trouble the Saudi giants this time, as Al Nassr controlled the match from start to finish. Still, the Gaurs can take encouragement from their commitment and the experience gained against one of Asia’s top sides.

Head coach Manolo Marquez will hope his players use this setback as motivation when they return home for their next match. With lessons learned and confidence from earlier performances, FC Goa will aim to bounce back and keep their AFC Champions League Two campaign alive.