RIYADH — In the aftermath of an intense match against Al-Ettifaq, Brazilian coach Luis Castro of Al-Nassr highlighted the memories of their victory against Al-Hilal as he discussed the dismissal of Brazilian player Anderson Talisca. He said: "We were the better team on the field, deserved the win, and secured advancement to the next round." Speaking at the post-match press conference, Castro stated, "We've won 14 out of our last 15 matches. We will continue our battle as we did today, and I am pleased with the victory and the tremendous support from the fans in the stands." Castro declined to comment on the remarks by Gerard, the coach of Al-Ettifaq, about the refereeing, saying, "I don't comment on the statements of my fellow coaches. I don't know what Gerard said, and I believe we had two penalty kicks, and Talisca's goal was legitimate." Continuing his remarks, he added, "Despite playing with a numerical disadvantage from the end of the first half, Al-Ettifaq only reached our goal once in the second half. We were the better team in extra time, and overall, we deserved the win against a respectable team with a respectable coach." Responding to a question about Talisca's potential inclusion in the Brazilian national team, Castro said, "I apologize for not answering out of respect for my colleague, the coach of the Brazilian national team. However, Talisca has immense capabilities and is a significant player in our squad." Regarding player Abdullah Al-Khaibari, Al-Nassr's coach described him as "an intelligent player who handles and delivers the ball exceptionally well," justifying his deployment in the right-back position. About his conversation with the match referee at the end of the first half, Castro revealed, "I told the match referee that the reason for disallowing Talisca's goal was incorrect. If he didn't award it, a penalty should have been given in favor of Ronaldo. Other teams easily get penalties, but we seem to be overlooked in the use of Video Assistant Referee technology." Castro concluded his remarks by stating, "Talisca is not easily provoked; his reaction to the red card was straightforward. We fear no team because we must play with a winning mentality."
