Ronaldo absence sombers mood as FC Goa battle Al Nassr

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New Delhi: Al Nassr might be without Cristiano Ronaldo but it doesn’t make FC Goa’s task easier in their AFC Champions League Two home clash on Wednesday.

At the bottom of the group with two consecutive defeats, Goa would have to pull above their weight to avoid a hat-trick against the group toppers.

Had Ronaldo travelled with his Saudi Arabian club team-mates, the stands at the Fatorda stadium would have filled up, allowing FC Goa to make a buck.

Without Ronaldo, that opportunity has evaporated into thin air, leaving Goa with the task of ensuring that they are not blown away on the pitch.

“Everyone loves Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has a lot of fans. We have decided to rest him when we play outside Saudi Arabia. Everyone wants to see and meet him, but we chose to keep him in Riyadh to prepare for the next game,” Al Nassr coach Jorge Jesus has said.

Apart from Ronaldo, Croat medio Marcelo Brozovic also didn’t board the plane, though the presence of Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane, Joao Felix and Inigo Martinez hardly diminishes Al Nassr’s firepower.

Overwhelming opponent

Goa’s 2-0 defeats to Iraq’s Al Zawraa at home and away in Dushanbe against Istiklol, had a similar pattern of lapses at the back and opportunities missed upfront.

Manolo Marquez would plead for greater concentration and compactness while defending and composure when they get the ball, and clear thought process to orchestrate quick turnovers for fast breaks along with utilisation of set-piece opportunities.

Jesus would count nothing less than three points as a satisfactory outing, after their 5-0 win over Istiklol 5-0 and 2-0 victory over Al-Zawraa sans Ronaldo.

His eye would surely be on winning the trophy and toppoing the group would only be the first step in that aim.

Match details

FC Goa vs Al Nassr, ACL 2 match

Kick-off: 7.15pm IST

Venue: Fatorda Stadium, Margao

Live streaming in Fancode app.