Welcome to the highlights of the AFC Champions League 2021 Group E game between FC Goa and Al Rayyan from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa.
Well, what do you say about that finish. FC Goa was inches away from creating history, but ended up being miles apart. An 89th minute equaliser from Ali Ferydoon proved to be the difference between FC Goa becoming the first ever Indian team to win a game in the AFC Champions League and eventually taking home just one point.
All the FC Goa players, however, can hold their heads high tonight. They were spectacular and have another chance to win its first match when they take on Al Wahda in its final match on Thursday.
We will see you for that match on Thursday. Until then it is goodbye and stay safe!
The referee blows the whistle and game ends 1-1.
93' CHANCE! What an unbelievable save from Dheeraj. But it results in a corner for Al Rayyan, but the ball is cleared away.
90+1 Free kick for FC Goa. Edu Bedia takes the shot, but the ball slams into the wall. Romeo takes it off the rebound, but the ball is wide.
4 minutes of added time.
89' GOAL! Ferydoon scores the equaliser for Al Rayyan from close range. Heartbreak for FC Goa.
86' Super, super play from Goa, but Devendra is unable to control the ball and with men around him, cannot put the shot in.
84' Goa finding it difficult to keep possession, but they have kept Al Rayyan quiet in the last few minutes, particularly after the break.
Under 10 minutes of regulation time to go in this game!
80' Back to back corners for Goa, but it fails to create something major out of both opportunities.
78' Romeo Fernandes sprints down the right wing, after Goa takes possession from an almost Al Rayyan attack. However, the ball is cleared away before the cross comes in.
Time for a drinks break!
71' CHANCE! Poor from Al Rayyan and Glan Martins gets the time and space, he goes for goal, but the ball flies over the goal. Lack of composure from the midfielder.
CHANGE FOR FC Goa: Brandon is off, Makan Chote comes on.
69' A seventh corner for Al Rayyan, but again nothing significant comes out of it.
CHANGE FOR Al Rayyan: Al Korbi is off, Farydoon comes on.
68' Al Rayyan has got closer and closer to the equaliser, but has lacked precision near rhe box tonight. Yet another chance goes begging.
63' A handball near the box gives FC Goa a free kick. Ortiz takes the set-piece, but the ball hits the solitary man as the wall and the ball is cleared away.
Under 30 minutes of regulation time left on the clock.
60' Brandon Fernandes is booked for a challenge on Brahimi.
A double change for Goa: Devendra Murgaonkar and Romeo Fernandes come on for Ishan Pandita and Alexander Romario Jesuraj.
54' Ortiz is brought down yet again even as Goa readies to make two changes. Free kick for Goa from the middle of the pitch.
52' Corner for Al Rayyan and it is a deep delivery, but the flag was raised for off-side.
50' Al Rayyan has begun on the front foot in the second half, as it continues to press the ball forward more, in order to get the equaliser.
46' Al Rayyan has started on the front foot in the second half and has an immediate chance, but the ball is saved by Dheeraj.
CHANGE for FC Goa: Sanson Pereira, who did go off for a while because of injury, has been replaced by Saviour Gama.
WELCOME BACK!
Well, that was entertaining and at the end of the first 45 minutes of this match, Goa will be relieved it still has the lead. Ortiz put it in front very early in the half, but Al Rayyan dominated possession post that and also got a number of chances to get the equaliser, through multiple set piece deliveries.
With it unable to convert any of them, it heads into the break 0-1 down. Are we 45 minutes away from witnessing history in Indian football or does Al Rayyan has it in them to make a comeback? Join us for the second half, in a bit.
Half-time: FC Goa 1 Al Rayyan 0
45+3 Chaotic scenes as Goa looks to counter attack from a Al Rayyan and Pandita takes an ambitious shot from the middle of the pitch but the goal keeper is there to save it.
4 minutes of added time.
43' Brandon Fernandes is down on the flank and the midfielder looks in serious pain. He is holding his right ankle, but is back on his feet. However, no sooner he gets up, he is challenged again on the same right foot. No booking.
40' Gonzalez is booked for a challenge on Brahimi and it is another free kick for Al Rayyan. The delivery comes in , but Pandita clears the ball away to give Al Rayyan a corner.
38' Seriton brings Brahimi down and it is a free kick for Al Rayyan from a very good range. Boli takes it, it comes in straight towards Dheeraj, who punches the ball away safely.
37' Seriton Fernandes sprints down the right wing and is challenged by Yousuf Umar. Goa gets a free kick. The delivery from Fernandes, however, is poor.
Under 10 minutes of regulation time left in the half.
35' Goa starts proceedings after the break with a throw-in from Pereira
Time for a drinks break!
30' Concern for Goa as Pereira seems to have injured his right shoulder. He is going off the pitch for now.
28' Glan Martins brings down Brahimi and it is a free kick for Al Rayyan.
23' Al-Korbi is booked for a challenge on Ortiz. He once again puts in a challenge on Ortiz and is let go this time.
22' Goa is keeping the possession of the ball. Some of the passing, especially from the middle of the pitch, has lacked a bit of precision.
Possession: FC Goa 45 Al Rayyan 55
16' Free kick for Al Rayyan as there is an handball offence from Pereira just outside the box. The delivery comes in, but Donachie is up to the task and ball goes out to play.
15' Aziz goes for a shot with his left foot but the ball is wide and Dheeraj does not have anything to worry about there.
12' Another corner for Al Rayyan. It is looking to create something, but the Goan wall is alive and kicking tonight. Boli looks to come forward, but Pereira is there to put the ball out of play. The corner delivery comes in, but it results in a throw, which leads to an off-side.
11' Goa is able to steal possession and steal possession with great effiiciency. First Sanson Pereira tackles the ball from the Al Rayyan players on the wing, then Brandon Fernandes does the same in the middle of the pitch. Impressive.
8' Corner for Al Rayyan. Boli uses all the pace at his disposal, but the Goa defence is up to the task and ball goes out of play. The delivery comes in, but the ball is parried away into the Goan half.
6' Goa looking impressive, post the goal. Periera gets a ball in from the centre of the pitch, he sprints down the wing, but the ball is tackled away outside the playing area.
3' GOAL! What a start for Goa. A sensational ball in from Brandon and Jorge Ortiz tumbles and fumbles, but somehow puts the ball in the back of the net.
2' Al Rayyan starts proceedings and Seriton Fernandes gives Goa the early possession. Two off-sides in the first two minutes from both teams.
HERE WE GO!
The players are walking out to the middle. FC Goa in its orange kit and Al Rayyan in its black kit.
15 MINUTES TO GO FOR KICK-OFF!
"The last two games are very important for us. We have to be strong psychologically to beat the pressure of participating in the AFC Champions League. We want to do our best on the pitch,"
-FC Goa's Juan Ferrando ahead of tonight's match against Al Rayyan
"We have to present the best in the remaining two matches in the AFC Champions League, and we have to play to win against Goa and Persepolis, it is very difficult to play every three days, but we have to respect the Asian championship and play to win,"
-Al Rayyan manager Laurent Blanc, ahead of today's match.
FC Goa may have lost its last two matches to Persepolis, but prior to those defeats, it put on two terrific performances , one of which was against Al Rayyan.
Here more about that performance here: AFC Champions League: Debutant FC Goa holds Al Rayyan to goalless draw
The third-placed side in the group faces the fourth-placed side tonight and FC Goa will have to get three points to stay in contention for a knockout berth:
Read more about the preview here: FC Goa eyes maiden win to remain in contention for ACL knockout round
The first sight of this FC Goa starting XI presents a much-more balanced look to it than the last game against Persepolis. Dheeraj returns to goal, replacing the profligate Naveen Kumar. Edu Bedia, too, returns from injury and suspension as do Jorge Ortiz, Brandon Fernandes, Glan Martins and Ishan Pandita.
They come in for Naveen, Amarajit Singh Kiyam, Princeton Robello, Redeem Tlang and Devendra Murgaonkar.
Laurent Blanc has made five changes to the Al Rayyan team that lost 1-0 to Al Wahda on Friday. He has strengthened the defence and midfield and also changed the goalkeeper.
In come Saud Al-Hajiri, Khaled Muftah, Moufak Awad, Abdul Rahman Alkrobi and Naif Alhadhrami for Fahad Baker Younes, Dame Traore, Mohammad Jumaa, Ahmed Abdelmaqsoud and Ibrahim Masoud.
Here are the playing XIs for today's game:
FC Goa: Dheeraj Singh; Sanson Pereira, Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Seriton Fernandes; Edu Bedia (C); Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Brandon Fernandes, Glan Martins, Jorge Ortiz; Ishan Pandita.
Al Rayyan: Saud Al-Hajiri; Mohamed Alaaeldin, Shoja Kalilzadeh, Khaled Muftah, Moufak Awad, Yousuf Umar; Abdul Rahman Alkrobi, Abdel Aziz Hatem, Naif Alhadhrami; Yohan Boli, Yachin Brahimi (C).
Al Rayyan- A short overview
Al-Rayyan is a team, which plays in the Qatar Stars League. A formidable force in its earlier years, the club has not enjoyed the same domination in recent years. Winner of eight top-flight trophies, the club’s last title came in 2015–16 after a trophy drought of 21years. Al Rayyan last appeared in the competition in 2019 edition.
Currently it sits third in the Qatar Stars League and fourth in Group E, with one point in four games.
Squad: Goalkeepers: Fahad Baker, Oumar Barry, Ahmed Hasan Mohamed, Saud Al-Hajiri, Mahmoud Ahmad Zakeri, Marwan Badredlin, Abdullah El Redy Mohamed
Defenders: Gabriel Mercado, Shoja Kalilzadeh, Dame Traore, Yousif Umar Din (CBs), Mohammad Jumaa, Hamd Rashid Juma (LBs), Mohamed Alaaeldin, Mowaffaq Awad (RBs)
Midfielders: Mekki Tombari, Hadi Tabasideh, Franck Kom , Ahmed El Sayed (DMs), Abdulaziz Hatem, Abdulrahman Al-Korbi, Mubarak Eid Al-Nasser (CMs), Sultan Al-Kawari (CAM)
Forwards: Yachin Brahimi, Khalid Al Sabah (LWs), Abdulrahman Al-Harazi, Naif Al-Hadhrami, Ibhram Masoud (RWs), Yohan Boli, Ali Ferydoon, Abdulaziz Al-Hasia (CFs)
Manager: Laurent Blanc
Key players: Yacine Brahimi, Yohan Boli
FC Goa’s full squad for the AFC Champions League
Goalkeepers: Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Shubham Dhas, Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem
Defenders: Sanson Pereira, Seriton Fernandes, Leander D’Cunha, Ivan Gonzalez (Spain), Mohamed Ali, James Donachie (Australia), Aibanbha Dohling, Saviour Gama, Adil Khan
Midfielders: Edu Bedia (Spain), Glan Martins, Princeton Rebello, Brandon Fernandes, Phrangki Buam, Redeem Tlang, Makan Winkle Chothe, Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Romeo Fernandes
Forwards: Jorge Ortiz , Devendra Murgaonkar, Ishan Pandita.
Coach: Juan Ferrando
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