AFC Champions League: Talisca tames Al Duhail despite Ronaldo’s absence
(Sudesh Baniya at Khalifa International Stadium; Photos: Renjith Raju)
Doha: Philippe Coutinho was running, yet it was Anderson Talisca who crossed the finishing line as Al Nassr edged out with another victory against Al Duhail by a goal’s margin – this time without Cristiano Ronaldo.
A crowd more than 36,000 strong at the Khalifa International Stadium – most donning Al Nassr’s number seven shirt – would be introduced to a new hero whose two sumptuous hits from outside the box were topped by a poacher’s finish.
Talisca’s first two came when Al Nassr needed it the most, especially after a gripping first half an hour from the home side, filling the Portuguese’s boots perfectly on the night.
Al Duhail started strong. When Coutinho’s darting run met Michael Olunga’s delivery off the left, it was emblematic of what Christophe Galtier’s approach has been so far with the club.
A deep and compact block stifled the opponent’s prowess and Ruben Semedo’s all-round performance meant the home side’s transitions were quick enough to catch Luis Castro’s side.
It did not last long, however. Al Nassr’s offensive thrust, one that had been reduced to long balls and was struggling to penetrate through the Reds, suddenly sprung to life courtesy of Talisca’s turn outside the box – one that took more than just three defenders out of the equation, but Duhail’s stronghold.
Talisca was at it again – this time with a similar finish – if not better compared to his first. Salah Zakaria looked utterly helpless, and it was the moment things flipped for the home side. Passes started becoming inaccurate and Al Nassr’s offenses started to trouble the defensive line on more occasions. “We lost the organization and failed to keep the ball, which gave Al Nassr the chance to come back in the match,” Galtier said after the match.
The second half only widened the differences. A visibly frustrated Coutinho seemed to be the only one running the show for the home side. “We did everything we could.. but now we keep our heads up and focus on what’s next,” he said after the match.
On the contrary, the Saudi side constantly picked up their collective moments. Talisca’s cherry on the cake was a testament to it, coming off a combination with Alex Telles – the other Brazilian in touch on the night. The Talisca show continued unabated, pushing Al Duhail into further delirium.
“What you see is a result of the work of everyone in the club, and we have very clever players who can manage the recovery process in a good way,” Castro said of his players after the match.
A Coutinho penalty, coupled with a few mis-hits was not enough for Duhail to salvage a win. Instead, what added some dying-moment drama was Khaled Mohammed’s takedown, earning him a red card after just six minutes on the pitch.
Al Duhail’s hopes of advancing to the next round of the AFC Champions League are now over, with their next home game against Istiklol now remaining as a mere dead-rubber.
