Italian Giovanni Solinas, coach of Al-Faisaly, acknowledged the difficulty of the confrontation that his team lost to Al-Nasr, 1-3, in the 11th round of the Saudi Professional League, in light of the competitor’s international names and high technical capabilities, stressing at the same time his satisfaction with the numbers his team recorded during the match.
Solinas said, during the press conference after the match, that Al-Faisaly was aware of the magnitude of the challenge facing Al-Nasr, which includes a group of distinguished players, led by the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, his compatriot Joao Felix, and the Senegalese Sadio Mane, in addition to a number of stars with great experience and potential.
Al-Faisaly coach added: “According to the statistics, our team presented good numbers that competed with Al-Nasr, and I thank the players for what they provided, and we will continue working for the next confrontation.”
The Italian coach stressed the importance of the upcoming confrontation, saying: “The derby match against Al-Fayhaa is a competitive match, and we will prepare for it and fight to get the points.”
Australian Ange Postecoglou, coach of Al-Nasr, stressed the importance of the victory his team achieved over its host Al-Faisaly, with a score of 3-1, in the eleventh round of the Saudi Professional League, pointing out the difficulty of the confrontation and the importance of coming out with the three points.
Postecoglou said, during the press conference after the match: “The most important thing is to win and come away with the three points. Today, we know very well the difficulty of the field, and I am very happy with the victory.”
The Al-Nasr coach praised striker Abdullah Al-Hamdan, stressing his technical value and his ability to make a difference, even in limited minutes. He said: “Abdullah Al-Hamdan is an excellent player. He gives you everything, even if he plays ten minutes, and he is an influential player.”
Postecoglou also stressed the importance of giving young players the opportunity to participate in competitive matches, explaining that including them in such confrontations represents an important step for the team. He said: “We participated with young players, and throwing them into such confrontations and giving them the opportunity are two important things for the team.”
Veteran Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo scored one goal and contributed to creating another, leading his team Al-Nassr to an exciting victory over Al-Faisaly 3-1 in the 11th round of the Saudi Professional League.
Abdullah Al-Hamdan gave Al-Nasr an early lead after 4 minutes of play after he fired a low shot from outside the penalty area that landed in the far corner.
Captain Ronaldo added the second goal with a header after a free kick executed by his Portuguese compatriot Joao Felix 4 minutes after the end of the break. Theo Bongonda reduced the deficit for the home team with a header after more than an hour of play. Angelo restored Al-Nasr's two-goal lead with a direct shot from inside the penalty area in the 79th minute after receiving a ready-made ball from his colleague Al-Hamdan following Ronaldo's cross.
Al-Nasr raised its score to 25 points from 10 matches, lagging behind leaders Al-Qadisiyah on goal difference. Al-Faisaly's score froze at 7 points in 15th place.
