Al Nassr vs FC Goa: Three key players battles that can decide AFC Champions League 2 away fixture

Sandesh Jhingan and Co. will look to turn the cards in the second clash against Al Nassr.

FC Goa looks to salvage the ultimate underdog story when they travel to face Al Nassr in their next AFC Champions League 2 game on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

Even though the Gaurs don’t have any more opportunities to progress to the knockout stages of the competition anymore, they can make Indian football proud by coming away from Saudi Arabia with a positive result.

However, to do that, the Gaurs will need every player to play to their best potential and possibly give their best performance of their careers.

Al-Nassr will not take this game for granted after surviving a bit of a scare in the recent clash against Goa, and they should field a stronger lineup for the upcoming encounter to thrill their own fans at the Al-Awwal Park.

As a result, there should be some interesting battles between the two sets of players in this upcoming match. However, certain battles can decide the match’s fate, as several players are crucial for both teams. Here we take a look at the three key battles to watch out for in the Al Nassr vs FC Goa clash.

3. Angelo Gabriel vs Borja Herrera

Angelo Gabriel was an absolute thorn for the FC Goa side in the previous AFC Champions League Two clash, as he controlled the midfield battle for his side and was also a threat on the ball. The Brazilian youngster scored an impressive goal to help his side get the big win, and he will look to maintain his bright form in the upcoming game against the Gaurs.

It’ll be imperative for the FC Goa players to neutralize Angelo’s threat and keep him as quiet as possible in their half. Borja Herrera had a shaky game against Al-Nassr in the last game, but it’s on him to turn things around in the upcoming one in Saudi Arabia.

Herrera can’t just focus on the attacking contributions, but also being a proactive figure in the midfield who can win back possession and make duels in the crucial situations.

Borja will have to monitor Angelo’s movements and make crucial challenges to prevent the Brazilian from controlling the midfield’s action. Unless Borja can be more impactful and troublesome for Angelo, the midfielder will again dominate things and be a pest to deal with for the backline.

2. Brison Fernandes vs Sultan Al Ghanam

Brison Fernandes was arguably FC Goa’s biggest threat in their previous game against Al Nassr, and he should be granted a start in the upcoming clash. The exciting winger needs to go into this game with the same vibrant nature that he showed at the Fatorda Stadium and maintain that aura of fearlessness around him.

He will need to be proactive in taking on defenders and making rapid forward runs to drive his side into the danger areas and be able to make things happen in the final third.

However, Brison should expect to face a tougher challenge in the next game against Al-Nassr right-back Sultan Al Ghanam. The 31-year-old had a pretty solid game at the Fatorda Stadium as well, but he’ll be tasked with sticking in on Brison and being more forceful with his challenges to end Fernandes’ chances of getting into the box.

That is why Brison will probably need to be really unpredictable and innovative with his overall movement and trickery, so that he can fool the sturdy Al Ghanam in what should be an entertaining battle to watch.

1. Joao Felix vs Sandesh Jhingan

Joao Felix is likely to start this upcoming game against FC Goa after being kept on the bench in the game at the Fatorda Stadium. To his credit, Sadesh Jhingan was able to hold his own against the Portuguese forward in the second half of the game after he was brought on as a substitute.

However, now that he’ll face a charged-up Joao Felix at his own yard, this will be a whole different challenge altogether. Felix has already scored nine goals in the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, but he’s only managed one goal for his side in the AFC Champions League Two.

He’ll be determined to increase his goal tally in the continental tournament by being at his ruthless best against FC Goa. Jhingan will need to tap into his best ability to be able to hold his own against Felix in an unfamiliar environment.

The Indian defender needs to be sturdy with his marking and pinpoint with his challenges to frustrate Felix and give him no room to maneuver into the key areas.

However, Joao will look to use his unpredictable nature and tricky movement to destabilize the FC Goa backline and put away chances efficiently to guide his side to a big win over the Indian side.

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