A dramatic expulsion and a harsh loss brings Al-Nasr closer to saying goodbye to the League Cup

Al-Nasr team suffered a painful blow in its career in the Professional League Cup (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Cup), after losing to Al-Ain with a score of 0-3 the day before yesterday in the first leg of the semi-finals, in a match that witnessed controversial events and sharp shifts in performance, which made the Dean close to being eliminated from the tournament before the return match scheduled for next week.

The expulsion decision in the 42nd minute constituted the most prominent turning point in the match, after the referee showed the red card in the face of the team captain Luca after he objected to one of the refereeing decisions, in a shot that sparked widespread controversy inside and outside the field, as the expulsion decision was considered harsh in its timing and impact, especially since Al-Nasr was still in the atmosphere of the match, before entering the second half undermanned.

With the beginning of the second half of the match, question marks increased over the decisions of Al-Nasr coach, Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic, after he resorted to a strange change by removing influential striker Mehdi Qaidi and bringing in a midfielder, at a time when the team was in dire need of offensive solutions and searching for a goal that would return it to the atmosphere of confrontation. This substitution opened the door to Al Ain’s control, and directly affected Al Nasr’s balance on the field.

As the minutes passed, it became clear that the team had completely collapsed, as the team conceded three goals in the second half, amidst the absence of defensive organization and poor positioning. The result could have been increased in light of the technical and numerical difference.

The controversy intensified after a penalty kick was awarded to Al Ain, which many observers considered incorrect, stressing that the ball first hit the foot of player Zayed Sultan before touching his hand, which makes the decision lose its arbitration legitimacy according to the regulations. Analysts unanimously agreed that this decision directly affected the course of the match and increased the difficulty of the task for Al Nasr.

With this heavy loss, Al-Nasr’s mission in the second leg has become very complicated, as the team needs an exceptional comeback to compensate for the three-goal difference, at a time when it is going through great pressure in terms of results and performance. This result also brings the team closer to a possible zero season after previously exiting the President’s Cup, and practically staying away from competing for the ADNOC Professional League title.

Jokanovic: Arbitral decisions complicated the situation

Al-Nasr coach Jokanovic spoke about the refereeing decisions and his technical choices, and told Emirates Al-Youm: “After the expulsion, everything changed on the field, and it became necessary to reorganize the team. Removing Mehdi Qaidi was not an easy decision, but it was an attempt to maintain tactical balance after the numerical shortage and not a retreat from offensive ambition, but frankly the arbitration decisions greatly complicated the situation, whether in the expulsion shot or the penalty kick, and had a psychological and mental impact on the players. “In matches of this level, we need more fairness and respect so that the players can focus solely on football.”