Al Nassr went to Tashkent without Ronaldo, Coman and Simakan, and I think that is a choice about the calendar more than a weakened team. Postecoglou's stated reason is fixture congestion and travel, and the next Saudi league game is reportedly the one Ronaldo is aimed at. The thing I'd watch is whether a rested-and-rotated Al Nassr still plays its usual game against a Pakhtakor side that has not won yet in this competition.
Al Nassr first. Per the Asharq Sports report in our notes, the three were left out on purpose, and Zamin.uz says no medical reason was given. World Soccer Talk has Ronaldo expected back for the Saudi trip to Al-Hazem. Al-Amri and Samu Costa are reported to return to the XI, and the expected line-up has Joao Felix behind or beside Al-Hamdan. In our records they scored 5-3 against Al Kholood three days earlier and have won four of their last five, but they also lost 0-4 at Al Ain in this same competition. So the unanswered part is how they behave away from home when the front line is not the usual one.
Pakhtakor's side. They have two draws and a loss in three Asian games (2 points, 12th in the West group), and they lost 0-1 away at Al Quwa Al Jawiya in their last Asian outing before beating Xorazm 1-0 in the league. Postecoglou himself called them a team that can pressure anyone at home. So the home side has a real chance to get the game into a scrappy shape, but it scored only 2 goals in 3 Asian games, so the question is whether they can turn pressure into shots.
Where they meet: a rotated visitor with a congested schedule versus a home side that is low on goals but hard to play against. I'd rather not call it. My question to you: does resting stars in Asia pay off when the opponent plays the way Pakhtakor does, or does it hand the home side the first twenty minutes?
