Ronaldo rests as Al-Nassr beats Goa 2-1 in Asia’s second-tier tournament
Without star Cristiano Ronaldo, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr beat FC Goa 2-1 on Wednesday to maintain its perfect record in the Asian Champions League Two.
Traveling to India without Ronaldo, who stayed in Riyadh to rest, Al-Nassr took the lead with goals from Brazilian winger Angelo Gabriel and Haroune Camara. Brison Fernandes pulled one back for Goa, but the Saudi club held on to record its third straight win in Asia’s second-tier competition.
In the AFC Champions League Elite, Riyadh rival Al-Hilal stayed unbeaten, improving to four wins from four matches with a 3-1 victory over Qatar’s Al-Sadd. Turkish midfielder Yusuf Akcicek opened the scoring in the 25th minute, and former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly doubled the lead just before halftime.
Al-Sadd cut the deficit in the second half through Roberto Firmino, but Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sealed the win for Al-Hilal nine minutes from time.
Al-Hilal, four-time winner, tops the western group of the 24-team tournament, which is split into two geographic zones. The top eight teams from each side advance to the knockout stage.
“The first half was excellent, and in the second half our opponents regained confidence and played better,” Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi said. “We didn’t start well in the first 15 minutes, but we came out with the win and remain on top of the table.”
In the eastern zone, South Korean clubs prevailed over Japanese opposition. Two-time champion Ulsan HD moved into first place with a 1-0 win over Sanfrecce Hiroshima, while Gangwon FC edged second-placed Vissel Kobe 4-3 to draw level on points.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
