FC Goa vs Al-Nassr: Brison's historic goal, Ronaldo absence, Goa's poor defence and other talking points

Brison Fernandes became the first Indian to score in the AFC Champions League Two.

FC Goa went down fighting to a 2-1 loss to Al-Nassr in their 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two clash at the Fatorda Stadium, Goa, on Wednesday (22 October 2022). Despite going 2-0 down in the early parts of the first half through Angelo Gabriel and Haroune’s goals, the Gaurs at least showed some fight later on.

Brison Fernandes pulled one back with a clinical goal in the 41st minute, and the Gaurs gave Al-Nassr a tough fight in the second half.

However, they ultimately came up short after being unable to score any goals, with the Saudi Pro League giants being allowed to go back home with all three points. Here we look at some talking points from this entertaining AFC Champions League Two clash.

5. Lack of driving figure hurts FC Goa’s counter-attacking prospects

It was clear from the get-go that FC Goa would look to use their counter-attacking qualities to hurt the visitors in this game. However, Al-Nassr were hardly even made to sweat on the transitions and that is mostly because of how inefficient the Goa players were after recovering the possession.

Apart from Brison Fernandes, there was almost no driving figure who could march the players forward by carrying the ball into the danger zones. Muhammed Nemil did try his best, but he was often outmuscled in key areas.

The likes of Borja Herrera and Dejan Drazic just couldn’t do much in taking on Al-Nassr’s defenders and getting the ball into the final third. The lack of any major threat on the counter-attacks resulted in the Al-Nassr defenders not even being dragged out of their comfort zone as often as Manolo Marquez would’ve preferred.

4. Al-Nassr’s overconfidence almost comes back to haunt them

Al-Nassr came into this game full of momentum and confidence, having won nine of their previous 10 matches under Jorge Jesus. The Portuguese coach decided to rest the likes of Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman and Joao Felix – all of whom were on the bench.

The Saudi giants had a blistering start to the game, cutting through the FC Goa backline to score two goals in the first half-hour itself. However, it almost seemed like the Al-Nassr players toned down the intensity of their performances and application after taking the 2-0 lead.

A lapse in concentration allowed Brison Fernandes to get inside the box and score a stunning goal, which seemed to embarrass the defenders. Al-Nassr were unable to pick up their pace in the second half, failing to really test the FC Goa backline. They did ultimately fight their way to a win, but Al-Nassr’s overconfidence almost allowed the Gaurs to surprise them and pull off a shock result.

Also Read: AFC Champions League Two Points Table: Updated Standings after FC Goa’s 2-1 defeat against Al Nassr

3. FC Goa’s foreign contingent fails to impress against commendable Asian opposition

It was not really a good day for the foreign players of FC Goa against Al-Nassr. Despite being relied upon to act as leaders to inspire those around them, the foreign players for the Gaurs failed to stand out against Asia’s best.

Javier Siverio had to be substituted in the 24th minute because of an injury, summing up a frustrating outing for the Spaniard. Dejan Dezic was moved to the centre-forward role, and even though he did assist Brison’s goal, Dezic failed to win duels or get past the centre-backs.

David Timor had a tough game as well, not being able to do much to stop the Al-Nassr driving attacking moves through the midfield. Pol Moreno was caught in awkward positions for both Al-Nassr goals, failing to make a simple clearance before their second.

Borja Herrera did put in some inviting crosses from set-pieces, but he too struggled with his defensive duties and couldn’t really create that much from open play. The foreigners all had disappointing performances in this big game, something that ultimately held FC Goa back.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to skip FC Goa trip vindicated in shocking condition of Fatorda Stadium pitch

A lot of talk has been made about Cristiano Ronaldo skipping the game against FC Goa, as he was rested due to workload reasons. However, there is a strong possibility that the Portuguese forward’s entourage simply didn’t want to risk him playing in the unpredictable conditions of the Fatorda Stadium.

Even though a large crowd gathered for this big game, the condition of the pitch was not up to the standards expected from a world-class stadium. Just like in the game between India and Singapore, large chunks of grass were torn apart, and some glaring holes were visible in some sections of the pitch.

The Al-Nassr players themselves were being careful with their movement and application into high-octane challenges, knowing how one badly timed move could result in an injury.

If the Fatorda Stadium organisers truly want world-class players like Ronaldo to come and play in the stadium, they need to improve the state of the pitch and bring it to a state-of-the-art level as soon as possible.

Also Read: FC Goa go down fighting as Al Nassr clinch 2-1 victory in AFC Champions League at Fatorda

1. Brison Fernandes proves his quality to play against Asia’s best

FC Goa’s biggest positive from the defeat against Al-Nassr was definitely the encouraging performance from Brison Fernandes.

Despite not even starting in the game, the 24-year-old winger came on as Javier Siverio and immediately added more positivity to Goa’s attacking style. Brison was brave and unrelenting in trying to burst past defenders on the left wing, and he never stopped trying to get into the danger areas.

He was also able to carry the ball forward much better than those around him, and was often left alone and without help in the key areas.

Fernandes showed his impressive finishing skills by producing a slick finish for his goal, which stunned the Al-Nassr players. He even created a few decent chances, including a huge one to send Boris Singh in a one-v-one with Beto – despite it being called offside.

Brison has shown that he can hang with quality foreign defenders and has that special spark in him to make a difference against the top teams.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.