Coach Jorge Jesus said Al Nassr wanted to rest Cristiano Ronaldo when the club played outside Saudi Arabia.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez tried his best to compartmentalise the immense pressure ahead of its highly anticipated AFC Champions League Two match against Al Nassr, which will be played at the Fatorda Stadium on Wednesday.
“Football is defending, passing, and transitions. We know they are a strong team, but we will go into the match with a good mentality,” said Marquez, focusing on the aspect that getting the basics right is imperative, be it any team.
Al Nassr tops Group D with six points. FC Goa, on the other hand, has lost both its matches and lies at the bottom.
Daunting attack
Given its penchant for pressing football, the tie should boil down to Al Nassr’s attack versus FC Goa’s defence, because it is difficult to see the Gaurs getting too much action in the final third.
With Sadio Mane on the left and Kingsley Coman on the right, the likes of Akash Sangwan and Boris Singh Thangjam will have their plate full if they want to stop constant crosses coming inside the box.
Goa’s best bet will lie in utilising its breaks and using the pace of players like Dezan Drazic and Brandon Fernandes. While Javier Siverio is a good option to have inside the box, given his aerial ability, he has to cope with the experience of Inigo Martinez.
No Ronaldo
As anticipated, most questions directed towards Al Nassr boss Jorge Jesus centred around the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
“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,” Jorge said.
Published – October 21, 2025 10:24 pm IST
