How are the Brazilian players coached by Jorge Jesus doing in Saudi Arabia, and what can they watch on Disney+?
Already qualified for the round of 16 of the Asian Champions League 2 , Al Nassr aims to finish the group stage with a 100% record. To do so, they need to beat Al Zawraa , from Iraq, this Wednesday (24), at 1 pm (Brasília time), with live broadcast on Disney+ .
On the field, several players familiar to Brazilian fans appear, in addition to stars Cristiano Ronaldo , João Félix , and Sadio Mané . The team, managed by Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, also has goalkeeper Bento and forwards Ângelo and Wesley available for selection.
Signed from Athletico=PR in September 2024 for R$ 107 million , Bento is one of the goalkeepers most frequently called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the Brazilian national team , but he has had an up-and-down season at Al Nassr. So much so that his departure has been speculated.
In September, while with the Brazilian national team for the last two rounds of the qualifiers, Bento denied leaving Al Nassr after a conversation with Jorge Jesus . The goalkeeper has a contract until June 2028.
“There’s a lot of speculation, but nothing is true. I spoke with him (Jorge Jesus) before the last match I was left out of. It was his choice to have a more offensive team, but everything is aligned, there’s nothing wrong with it. I’m still there, 100%,” said the goalkeeper, who has played nine times this season.
Another player experiencing a period of inconsistency at Al Nassr is striker Wesley. The former Corinthians player is constantly linked to other clubs. At the beginning of the year, for example, he was rumored to be joining Botafogo .
Faced with competition from big names like Mané, João Félix, and Cristiano Ronaldo, Wesley has been used more frequently in the Asian Champions League, having only started once in the Saudi League. In total, the 20-=year=old forward has three goals and one assist in 11 games this season.
Bento and Wesley hope to turn things around like Ângelo did. The former Santos player is going through his best moment with Al Nassr after being criticized by Jorge Jesus .
“I found the solution in Ângelo. Ângelo, as you know, is known as a winger. For me, he will never be a winger. And, if he is a winger, he will never be a great player. He can only be a good player or a great player as an attacking midfielder, as was the case when he played today and in other games. He is a player who still doesn’t have 90 minutes (complete in the season). To play in that box-to-box position, you need to have a very high physical capacity as well, something he doesn’t yet have. But, with time, I believe a lot in his football, and I also believe in what he can be in the future, said the coach in September.
And Jorge Jesus was right. After that statement, Ângelo started playing as an attacking midfielder and gained prominence. In the last 13 games, the Brazilian contributed with four goals and three assists.