AFC Champions League 2021: Al-Wahda vs FC Goa preview, prediction, line-ups and more

Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa will face UAE Pro League (UAEPL) side Al-Wahda on the second Matchday of the Asian Champions League (ACL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Saturday.

FC Goa come into the game on the back of an extraordinary ACL debut against Qatar Stars League (QSL) side Al-Rayyan SC on Matchday One. The Gaurs were pegged as the clear underdogs before the fixture, but Juan Ferrando's team managed to secure a goalless draw against the much-fancied Qatari side.

Goa's defensive formation and resilience at the back never allowed Al-Rayyan to take control of the game, barring the last few minutes of the second half.

Al Wahda, meanwhile, succumbed to a 0-1 loss to Persian Gulf Pro League (PGPL) side Persepolis FC in their first match. The UAE side started well against the ACL 2020 runners-up but could not muster enough goal-scoring chances to keep the Persepolis defense in check. The Iranian side ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a solitary goal from Jalal Hosseini.

A win for Al-Wahda would take them to second place while a FC Goa victory would put the Gaurs on top of the table in Group E.

Al-Wahda vs FC Goa: Recent results

Al-Wahda have had mixed results in domestic and continental campaigns so far. They faced defeats to Al-Ittihad Kalba and Persepolis, but managed to get all three points over Al Dhafra, Al Jazira and Al Zawraa respectively.

FC Goa are currently on a 16-game unbeaten run after a draw with Al-Rayyan. They have not lost a single fixture since going down to Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League in December.

Al-Wahda FC Form Guide: W-W-L-W-L (most recent last)

FC Goa Form Guide: W-D-D-D-D (most recent last)

Al-Wahda vs FC Goa: Predicted Line-Ups

Al Wahda (4-4-2): Rashed Ali (GK), Lucas Pimenta, Khalil Ibrahim, Tim Matavz, Khamis Esmaeel, Abdalla Alkarbi, Lee Myung-Joo, Ahmed Rahid, Fares Juma, Abdallah Hamad, Omra Khribin

FC Goa (4-2-3-1): Dheeraj Singh (GK), Sanson Pereira, Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Seriton Fernandes, Edu Bedia, Glan Martins, Brandon Fernandes, Alexander Romario, Jorge Ortiz, Ishan Pandita

Al-Wahda vs FC Goa: Where to Watch

The Al-Wahda vs FC Goa match can be watched on Star Sports 3, JIO Football 2 on JIO TV, Hotstar VIP and Premium in India. The games will also be LIVE on BeIN Sports in the Middle East and Fox Sports in East Asia.

Al-Wahda lost 0-1 to Persepolis FC in their first ACL 2021 game. (Image: AFC)

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Al-Wahda vs FC Goa Prediction

Al-Wahda will be the firm favorites for this match as FC Goa simply do not have enough steam to keep getting regular draws against much stronger opponents.

Prediction: Al-Wahda 2-1 FC Goa