Forget Ronaldo – Former Chelsea star shines as Al-Nassr survive Goa scare in fiery AFC clash

Abdul Hady
Abdul Hady is the editor of NutmegXtra, delivering daily Premier League, La Liga, and global football news with a sharp eye for breaking stories.

Al-Nassr claimed a 2-1 win over FC Goa in the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday, despite missing star man Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Saudi giants travelled to India without Ronaldo and Marcelo Brozovic, with Jorge Jesus opting to rest several first-team regulars ahead of their Pro League fixtures.

Former Chelsea winger Angelo Gabriel opened the scoring inside ten minutes, cutting in from the left before curling home from the edge of the box.

Haroune Camara doubled the advantage midway through the first half, holding off multiple defenders before slotting past the Goa keeper.

The hosts pulled one back through substitute Brison Fernandes just before the break, after he coolly beat a defender and fired in from a tight angle.

In the second half, Goa nearly equalised when Boris Singh found himself one-on-one with Bento, but the full-back’s tame effort was easily saved.

Al-Nassr introduced Sadio Mane and Joao Felix after the hour mark to steady the game, eventually seeing out the win despite tiring in the Indian heat.

Gabriel was the standout performer, leading the attack in Ronaldo’s absence as Al-Nassr maintained their strong start to the continental campaign.

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