FC Goa lose to Al Nassr without Ronaldo in Riyadh

Indian football club FC Goa suffered a 4-0 defeat to Saudi Pro League giants Al Nassr FC in their fourth AFC Champions League Two 2025-26 Group D match at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Despite playing without their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the Saudi Arabian football club won the contest comfortably. Abdulrahman Ghareeb (35', 53') scored a brace before Mohammed Marran (65') and Joao Félix (84') extended the lead for the home side.

This was FC Goa’s fourth straight defeat at the AFC Champions League Two 2025-26. They went down 2-1 to Al Nassr FC in Goa last month, following defeats to Iraqi side Al Zawraa SC and Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol in their first two group fixtures.

The Gaurs are currently rooted to the bottom of the Group D points table with no points, while Al Nassr top the table with four wins from as many matches.

Manolo Márquez made three changes to the Goa side that lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture last month and started the away fixture strongly.

Goa’s determined defending meant Al Nassr had to wait until the 20th minute to create their first big opening with Wesley dribbling into the box before dragging his shot just wide of the far post.

The deadlock was broken in the 35th minute. Abdulrahman Ghareeb curled a spectacular free-kick that hit the underside of the bar before landing in the net with Goa custodian Hrithik Tiwari rooted to his spot.

Al Nassr missed a chance to take a more comfortable lead into the break when midfielder Ali Alhassan ballooned his effort high over the bar in the 38th minute after good work from Nawaf Bu Washl on the right.

The Saudi Arabian side maintained their dominance after the break with Ghareeb notching his second in the 53rd minute, latching onto Alhassan’s through pass and calmly slotting past Tiwari.

Raghid Najjar was finally made to work in the 63rd minute when Dejan Dražić beat the offside trap and fired a powerful shot aimed at the bottom corner, but the Al Nassr custodian was equal to the effort.

The miss proved costly as Al Nassr struck again two minutes later when Bu Washl delivered a low cross from the right for Marran to flick home from close range.

Substitutes Joao Felix and Sadio Mane combined to score Al Nassr’s fourth in the 84th minute after, the Portuguese international finished the latter’s cross with an overhead kick to seal a dominant win for the Saudi Arabian side.

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