Kolkata, October 22: FC Goa put up a brave fight but narrowly went down 1-2 against Al Nassr in their AFC Champions League Two group stage clash at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda. The Saudi side controlled most of the game, but Goa refused to back down, showing determination till the final whistle.
Al Nassr started the match with fierce intent. Just two minutes in, Angelo Gabriel tested Goa’s keeper from distance, his strike curling just wide, an early warning of what was to come. Within three minutes, Ayman broke into the box, forcing a block, before Angelo tried again, but missed.
By the 10th minute, Al Nassr’s pressure finally broke through. Angelo picked up the ball outside the box and fired a powerful right-footed shot past Sandesh Jhingan and into the net, the visitors took a 1-0 lead.
Goa’s night got tougher when their striker Siverio came off the pitch with a left-foot injury in the 24th minute. Coach Manolo Marquez immediately called for Brison Fernandes, hoping to spark new energy. But before Goa could settle, Al Nassr struck again in the 27th minute. Ayman’s inch perfect cross from the left found Camara inside a crowded six-yard box, in between six gaurs and somehow, the striker managed to placed it into the net, making it 2-0.
Despite the early setback, Goa didn’t give up. The home side pushed forward, in the 29th minute Sahil Tavora linked up with Boris on a quick counter attack, but the final cross was blocked by Nassr’s solid defence.
Then came the moment that lifted every Goa fan. In the 42nd minute, Brison Fernandes, the substitute — made a stunning impact. Receiving a pass from Borja, from the left he went into the box, beat his marker, and fired a clean strike into the net. The Fatorda roared to life as Goa pulled one back, the first one from this campaign. FC Goa reduce the score gap 1-2, and suddenly, belief returned.
Al Nassr, however, continued to look dangerous in attack. In the 58th minute, Sultan Al-Ghannam made a brilliant run down the right and sent a cross toward Marran, but the forward completely mistimed his shot, sending it wide for a goal kick, a huge let-off for Goa.
The atmosphere inside the stadium lifted in the 66th minute when both sides made several changes. For Al Nassr, the arrival of Sadio Mane and Joao Felix brought excitement and fresh attacking firepower. FC Goa also made three substitutions in search of a breakthrough, greeted by loud cheers from the home fans.
A minute later, Goa almost found their equalizer. Boris Singh made a clever run behind the defence, stayed onside, and found himself one-on-one with Bento. But, his shot was saved brilliantly, and there was no orange shirt for the rebound, golden opportunity missed that could have changed the game’s course.
Goa didn’t give up easily. In the 88th minute, Rabeeh showed great determination, winning the ball deep in Goa’s half and carrying it into the final third down the right flank. He tried to find Nemil at the far post, but Simakan made a crucial interception. Goa earned back-to-back there corners, but neither managed to trouble the Nassr defence.
In stoppage time, Goa’s hopes faded further when captain Timor was shown a red card in the 90+3rd minute, leaving the team down to ten men. Despite showing grit and creating pressure in the closing stages, FC Goa couldn’t find an equalizer and fell 1-2 to Al Nassr at full-time.
Analysis:
The numbers from the match tell a clear story of dominance and determination. Al Nassr controlled the game from start to finish with 75% possession, while FC Goa had just 25%, spending most of the time defending and looking to counter.
The visitors registered 16 shots, with 3 on target, compared to Goa’s single attempt, which was Brison Fernandes’ goal in the first half. Despite the one-sided stats, Goa made their limited chances count and stayed competitive till the end.
Al Nassr also won 8 corners to Goa’s 3, showing how much they kept the pressure on in Goa’s half. Both teams received a yellow card each, but the Gaurs ended with a red card in stoppage time as Timor was sent off.
Though the stats were heavily in favour of Al Nassr, FC Goa’s spirited defending and late push kept the scoreline respectable, proving that numbers don’t always tell the whole story.
The Gaurs will now look to bounce back in the return leg in Riyadh on November 5.
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