Al Nassr Coach Castro Satisfied with Stalemate with Persepolis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Al Nassr head coach Luis Castro is content with a goalless draw in the AFC Champions League 2023-24 Group E tie on Monday.
The point was enough for Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr to confirm top spot and a place in the Round of 16.
The draw ended Al Nassr's perfect record but Castro said the result was acceptable considering that it had to play for more than 70 minutes with 10 men following Ali Lajami's early red card.
“We controlled the match despite playing with 10 players. The number of opportunities was less than in previous matches but the players gave their best, and I am happy with the performance,” the Portuguese said.
“When we prepare for a match, we base our lineup on the opponent. Unfortunately, we lost a player very early, which forced us to work harder in the match,” he added.
The draw stretched Al Nassr's unbeaten run to 20 matches, with 18 of them having been wins.
“Twenty matches without defeat and (only) two draws means one thing: work, courage and respect. We have to keep going,” the Al Nassr coach said.
