In the end, the scoreline did flatter FC Goa. In a game they lost 1-2 at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao on Tuesday night, the hosts looked ragged towards the end of the first half when Persepolis were in full flow. The pace and ease with which the Iranians moved the ball in the opposition half underlined their superiority over the Goan side in the AFC Champions League tie.
A penalty saved by Goa keeper Dheeraj Singh before half-time was crucial to keeping the deficit low for the hosts. As the second half progressed, it became increasingly clear that despite the narrow margin, there was little to no chance of Goa salvaging anything from the game.
Persepolis could, and perhaps should, have scored a couple of more goals. The final margin pointed as much to their profligacy in front of Goa’s goal as much to Goa’s well-organised defensive set-up.
Persepolis’ dominance doesn’t tell the entire story. This was a game between one of Asia’s best sides and a debutant in the competition coming in as rank outsiders. Goa, coached by Spaniard Juan Ferrando, illustrated again why a team that wants to win against them will have to go the extra mile.
At the start, it was Persepolis who seemed rattled. Goa took the lead in the 13th minute when the industrious Edu Bedia headed in Brandon Fernandes’ free kick. It was the first goal by any Indian side in the tournament’s group stages. A couple of minutes later, Persepolis’ backline was split open by the duo again as Bedia’s pass was met with a close range shot by Brandon. It was saved by Persepolis custodian Hamed Lak.
Many wondered on social media how the game would have turned out had Brandon converted. Perhaps Persepolis would still have gone on to win. As their immediate reaction to that scoring opportunity for Brandon showed, Persepolis can step up a gear when needed. They had done this in the previous game against Al-Rayyan as well.
In this game, they battered Goa into submission in the ensuing period, forcing them into errors and wresting back the initiative within a matter of minutes. Both Goa’s centre-backs, James Donachie and Ivan Gonzalez, conceded a penalty each. Mehdi Torabi converted the first but the second, taken by Hossein Kanaani, was saved by Dheeraj.
Sandwiched between those two penalties was Persepolis skipper Seyed Jalal Hosseini’s headed goal. Ferrando had started off with a conservative set-up, playing full-back Saviour Gama in place of suspended winger Alexander Romario and India defender Adil Khan in place of forward Ishan Pandita. Adil was tasked with providing cover to the centre-back pairing of Donachie and Gonzalez; but after a forgettable start to the game, Ferrando replaced Adil with midfielder Amarjit Singh in the 29th minute.
Yahya Golmohammadi’s side missed more chances to extend their lead in the second half. To make matters worse, key midfielder Edu Bedia limped off injured midway through the half. Bedia will miss the reverse fixture on Friday after being booked for the second time in the tournament on Tuesday. Ferrando will hope to have him back for the last two games of the group stages.
Ferrando didn’t see too many positives for his side after the game. “We played against the best team maybe, or one of the best teams in the AFC (Champions League). Persepolis are a very good team; very good experience (for us). Talking about my team, of course I am not happy; a lot of mistakes, in passes, in pressing, losing the ball in some situations so easily,” he told reporters.
“All the players tried to do their best on the pitch. But when you play against Persepolis, it’s only possible to say good words about them because it’s a very good team.”
As Ferrando pointed out, Goa are at the end of their 2020-21 campaign and fatigue was visible in the later stages of the game on Tuesday. Playing against a side of Persepolis’ calibre, a side that tires opponents out, Goa were understandably worn out midway through the second half.
The positive for Ferrando’s side here is the way they managed to hold their defensive shape throughout when being pressed, and despite having the ball in their own half for most of the game. For a team that loves to have more of the ball and control the tempo when in Indian Super League, Goa have adjusted well to the demanding environs of the AFC Champions League.
Friday’s reverse fixture against Persepolis will be another major test for Ferrando’s Goa, perhaps bigger than it was on Tuesday due to Bedia’s absence. Irrespective of how things end up in the competition, Ferrando’s pragmatism and tactical flexibility is unlikely to go unnoticed by the continent’s more affluent clubs.