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Neymar has explained why he celebrated in the face of Joshua Kimmich after Paris Saint-Germain beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

PSG had a 3-2 lead to defend when Bayern arrived at Parc des Princes on Tuesday night, and booked their spot in the semi-finals on away goals after losing the second leg 1-0.

Neymar stirred up a hint of controversy with his post-match celebrations, though, as he appeared to instigate an emotional embrace with Leandro Paredes right in front of Kimmich as the Bayern midfielder trudged off the pitch.

What's been said?

Kimmich had openly expressed his belief that Bayern would qualify for the last four in the lead-up to the contest and, although Neymar denied trying to wind him up after the final whistle, he did hint that the midfielder had been given a dose of karma.

"I wasn't even trying to provoke him there, I wanted to celebrate and Leo (Paredes) was right there," the Brazilian told TNT Sports Brasil.

"I've just seen him in front of me and we celebrated together, I suppose it was fate that meant that Kimmich was the one there, (someone) who said their team was better and was going to qualify, that they had already secured the semi-final spot."

Neymar added on PSG progressing despite allowing Bayern to dominate possession over the two legs: "It's like they say, right? You can have possession, just like you can flirt with a girl the whole night, then a guy comes and wins her over in five minutes."

PSG avenge 2019-20 final defeat

Bayern lifted their sixth European Cup by beating PSG 1-0 in last season's final, but the French champions exacted revenge under Mauricio Pochettino this time around.

A brace from Kylian Mbappe and a Marquinhos strike at Allianz Arena saw Pochettino's men gain an all-important advantage in the tie, and they just about managed to finish the job on home soil.

PSG could have increased their lead early in the first half of the second leg as Neymar was twice denied by the crossbar after getting a clear sight of goal, before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting opened the scoring with a close-range header.

Mbappe saw a goal ruled out for offside in the second period and PSG then weathered a late storm as Bayern pushed for an all-important second, but they held on to move one step closer to their first Champions League crown.

Who will PSG play in the semi-finals?

PSG have earned a last-four tie against either Manchester City or Borussia Dortmund by seeing off Bayern, with the second leg of that quarter-final set to take place at Westfalenstadion on Wednesday night.

Liverpool are due to host Real Madrid on the same night as they bid to overturn a 3-1 aggregate deficit, with Chelsea awaiting the winner of that tie in the other semi-final after knocking out Porto.

Further reading

Romeo Fernandes is relieved to have returned to Goa after a gap of four years and has now been named in FC Goa's 28-member squad for the 2021 AFC Champions League (ACL).

The Goan outfit is set to start their maiden campaign with an encounter against Qatar's Al Rayyan.

Back to FC Goa

"It was very tough for me in this situation," Fernandes mentioned of the time he had to give a trial at the club amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Though he was not selected into the first team, he rebuilt his match fitness by representing the club's developmental side playing in the Goa Pro League. 

"Coming back (to the FC Goa first team) after a gap of four years, it was an opportunity I was waiting for and working hard to get here with the development team," he looked forward to performing at his peak once again after being one of the stars at the club in the first couple of years of the ISL before a move to Delhi Dynamos (later Odisha).

"There is no pressure. Back then, there were supporters and now also, there are people supporting me. I was working hard with the developmental team where I got a chance to improve my fitness. The management worked very hard to push me. At last, I got the opportunity here (in the ACL)."

Brazilian to Spanish style

Romeo thrived under former Brazil legend Zico at FC Goa where he scored six of his seven goals and recorded seven of nine assists in the ISL over three seasons. Romeo is confident of adapting to current coach Juan Ferrando's system.

"As a player, I have to improve myself. Whether it is Brazilian style or Spanish, the mentality remains the same. The team has been preparing very well and we are working hard to win the first match (against Al Rayyan in the ACL)," Fernandes pointed out.

While he is both confident of fighting for his place amid the competition for places in the squad and in the team continuing their attacking brand of football in the Asian competition.

"It's very tough (to make it into the 11) because there are a lot of good players. You have to work hard to get in the team. The players have been giving their 100 percent in training like they have done in the ISL. So I think this will carry on in the AFC Champions League also," he mooted.

Christian Pulisic drew more fouls on Tuesday for Chelsea than anyone has in the Champions League since 2011, winning 11 free kicks in a 1-0 defeat that still saw the Blues move past Porto on aggregate.

The last player to reach that mark in the competition was Lionel Messi against Real Madrid in a semi-final victory a decade ago.

Pulisic is beginning to earn more minutes under manager Thomas Tuchel, getting the start vs Porto after playing 90 minutes this past weekend against Crystal Palace, and his ability to outmanoeuvre his opponents with the ball at his feet has proven an asset for the Blues.

Bigger picture

Pulisic's positive performance came two days after he had admitted his 2020-21 campaign has not gone exactly to plan.

The forward went several months without scoring and found himself outside of Tuchel's lineup until gaining favour in recent weeks.

"It has not been an easy season," Pulisic said to Chelsea's official website in the build-up to the Porto match. 

"There has been a lot of coming in and coming out and injuries, but I’m feeling healthy and strong right now."

His boosted form and the strong play of attacking partners Kai Havertz and Mason Mount have lifted Chelsea's play in the final third ahead of an FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City this weekend.

Further reading

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting improved on his notable Champions League scoring form as Bayern Munich secured a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening.

The former Schalke 04 and Stoke City man has now scored four goals in his last five games in the tournament, after netting only twice in his first 20 appearances in the tournament.

In the absence of injured Robert Lewandowski, the Cameroon ace led the Bavarians’ frontline as the Bundesliga giants were hoping to overturn their quarter-final first-leg deficit.

As It proved a rewarding first half for Hans-Dieter Flick’s men, they took the lead five minutes before the half-time break.

Choupo-Moting fended off Presnel Kimpembe to head David Alaba’s cross past goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

Furthermore, the Cameroonian has scored more goals in his two Champions League appearances against PSG (two) than he scored in his 10 games for them in the competition (one).

Although the German side held on to record an away victory at the Parc des Princes, they crashed out of Europe’s elite club competition on away goal rule after scores on aggregate stood at 3-3.

After a shift that saw him feature for 85 minutes, he was substituted for Javier Martinez.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the game while assuring that his team would come back stronger next season.

"The 1-0 is deserved, but the result last week was not good. It should have been better. It's annoying," Neuer told the media per Bayern Munich website.

“Thus, the dream of defending the title ended in the quarter-finals. Based on their performance last week and on Tuesday evening in Paris, Bayern can definitely leave the competition with their heads held high.

“Commitment, will and enthusiasm were clearly evident across the 180 minutes and will be the basis to go for it again next year.”

Bayern Munich will now shift their attention to the German elite division when they take on Oliver Glasner’s Wolfsburg on Saturday at the Volkswagen Arena.

Having amassed 65 points from 28 games played so far in the 2020-21 German topflight campaign, they lead the Bundesliga log, while RB Leipzig occupy the second spot with five points less.

PSG star Neymar has confirmed he is set to renew his contract with the club after helping them eliminate Bayern Munich from the Champions League on Tuesday.

Bayern won the quarter-final second leg 1-0, but PSG reached the semi-final on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate result.

After the game, Neymar, whose current deal expires in 2022, said his renewal was "no longer an issue" due to his comfort level at PSG

What was said?

Speaking to ESPN Brazil after the game, Neymar said: "This (renewal with PSG) is no longer an issue. Obviously I feel very comfortable and at home here at PSG. I feel happier than I was before."

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi added his belief that neither Neymar nor Kylian Mbappe have any reason to leave the club. 

“We have invested a lot in the club to win the Champions League and all the trophies available," Al-Khelaifi told RMC Sport.

"Neymar and Kylian have no excuse to leave. We really have everything to win all the tournaments.

"We have a great team today. We have respect for the others but we are there with them. We are working.

"And it is not over. We need to continue, to remain calm because the Champions League is not finished. We need to work more each day.

"The belief is there. The secret is work. The details make the difference too.”

Will Mbappe stay at PSG?

Both players will see their current deals expire in 2022, with Neymar appearing to be closer than Mbappe to signing a new contract. 

Mbappe has been more strongly linked with a move away recently, with a transfer to Real Madrid still a possibility.

Sources close to Mbappe have told Goal that the striker retains a boyhood ambition of playing for the Blancos.

Though there is optimism at Santiago Bernabeu that a deal can be done, there are still plenty of obstacles to overcome before Mbappe can join Real.

Further reading

Mason Mount has talked up Thomas Tuchel's "big impact" at Chelsea after the team advanced past Porto to reach the Champions League semi-final.

The Blues have thrived under their new manager, who took over for Frank Lampard earlier this year and has lost just twice in his nearly three months in charge.

In addition to their eighth Champions League semi-final appearance, Chelsea remain in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League and are set to play in the FA Cup semi-final this weekend.

What has been said

"[Tuchel] has had a big impact," Mount said to BT Sport. "It's difficult to come in midway through the season but he has had a big impact on the players. We have known from day one what he has wanted and implemented it in the games.

"We are working hard in training and it is showing. We are looking solid as a team. We have been performing at a high level. We need to continue that.

"We will take anyone [in the semi-finals]. We're ready for the fight and the battle. We get to sit down and watch it and really analyse it. We will be ready for anyone."

The mood in the Chelsea dressing room is at a high point, according to Mount, which is a remarkable feat considering reports of a training group bust-up a couple of weeks ago.

"We are buzzing," Mount said. "We are in a good position at the moment. We know we are playing well but we have big, big games coming up. We have an FA Cup semi-final and we go into each game with the confidence we can win. We need to do that in the league as well."

What's next for Chelsea?

The Blues have Manchester City in the FA Cup on the schedule this weekend and will play either Real Madrid or Liverpool in their Champions League semi-final near the end of April.

Tuchel's men also have league matches with Brighton and West Ham before the month concludes.

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that Chelsea's second-leg success against Porto on Tuesday was probably not attractive to most viewers, but he said he nonetheless took pleasure in watching how his side executed his tactical plan.

The Blues conceded a late acrobatic goal from Mehdi Taremi but did enough to advance 2-1 on aggregate, limiting Porto to just two shots on target as their conservative approach to the match proved effective.

Tuchel called Taremi's overhead kick "lucky" and said Chelsea were otherwise near-perfect in their performance at the back.

What has been said?

"It was a pleasure to watch them fight and be on the sideline with them to see them through," Tuchel told BT Sport .

"We accepted what was needed was a tough, tough fight. Maybe on the television it was not so nice to watch but, on the sidelines, it was a very intense game, a very fast game.

"[Porto] attack in a fluid and aggressive way. They change positions all the time. They come from behind, they overlap and you have to adapt to many movements. With every minute we did it better and better after a tough start.

"We defended well and deserved a clean sheet. We had the better chances - not a lot - but the better half chances. We could not finish it off with a goal so we had to hang in there and the guys did that. Overall we deserved to beat Porto. It was a tough 180 minutes."

Expanding on his tactical philosophy, Tuchel noted how he wanted the Blues to be counter-oriented to keep Porto from feeling completely comfortable throwing everyone forward.

"We had to play defensively but also offensively," the manager said. "Normally Porto is a team who can make other teams underperform. It happened to Man City in the group stages and Juventus. You have to accept that things will be hard.

"Part of the performance is to not let the other team perform and we did this today. Until the lucky shot in the last minute, we did not concede any chances. We missed some counter-attacks and some touches in the final third to create a little more but we are a young team. We had two guys who scored their first goals in the Champions League in the first leg. We have to accept the circumstances."

Further reading

PSG star Neymar hailed his side's collective spirit after they eliminated Bayern Munich and advanced to the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday. 

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored in the first half for Bayern but PSG kept their opponents off the scoresheet for the rest of the quarter-final second leg, advancing on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate result. 

The Ligue 1 champions had plenty of chances to make it a more comfortable evening, but still held out to avenge last season's defeat to Bayern in the competition's final.

What was said?

“I am very happy, despite the defeat," Neymar told RMC Sport.

"We came up against a great team. We are also a great team and we showed it tonight. We have eliminated the champions of Europe. The objectives have been respected, now we are in the semi-final and we have to work even more, improve and hope to have a good semi-final.

"It is true that we speak a lot with each other, we are truly a team. Marquinhos spoke to us during the match to help organize us. We saw that [Angel] Di Maria ran a lot today, we have to congratulate everyone.”

Di Maria added: “We did very good work, the team tried a lot. We beat the best team from last season and we are going into the semi-finals. I think that we all deserve it.

"We have worked very hard to achieve these objectives. This is an important moment for the club and we hope that we can go even further.”

What's next for PSG?

Mauricio Pochettino's men will meet either Borussia Dortmund or Manchester City in the semi-final.

City defeated the German outfit 2-1 in the first leg but Dortmund did manage to secure an away goal ahead of Wednesday's second leg. 

PSG will face Saint-Etienne on Sunday in domestic action as they look to catch Ligue 1 leaders Lille, who have a three point advantage atop the table. 

Further reading

The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores is up and running once more, with a series of preliminary rounds to determine who makes the group stage for 2021.

And Tuesday's eye-catching final qualifying clash brings together two former champions in San Lorenzo and Santos.

This is the last hurdle before the first round proper, which was drawn on April 9.

Both the Argentine and Brazilian clubs have tasted glory in this tournament and will be desperate to make a claim for one of those spots with a strong performance. 

The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores preliminaries can be watched through Fanatiz with a 7-day free trial . 

The streaming platform offers the option to watch each game.

How to watch San Lorenzo vs Santos

What has happened to Santos and San Lorenzo so far in the 2021 Copa Libertadores?

San Lorenzo qualified for the 2021 Copa by virtue of their league position in the last Superliga competition held in Argentina, which finished all the way back in March.

Since then the Cuervo's form has been rather sporadic, with coach Mariano Soso losing his job at the end of 2020 in a bid to improve performances. 

His replacement Diego Dabove has also found life in Bajo Flores hard-going, but San Lorenzo at least had no problem advancing from the second stage of qualifying, downing Universidad de Chile 3-1 on aggregate.

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Santos also entered the new Copa Libertadores in the second stage of qualifying, having played in the 2020 final recently as three months ago.

There, Cuca's charges lost a tense final 1-0 to Palmeiras, who netted in the dying seconds to take the crown. 

This time round Deportivo Lara were dispatched in the opening preliminary tie, and the Peixe triumphed 3-1 in Buenos Aires to take a commanding lead over San Lorenzo going into the second leg, which is played in Brasilia due to restrictions in place in Sao Paulo state owing to the Covid pandemic.

Santos and San Lorenzo team news and preview

Venezuela star Yeferson Soteldo will start for Santos in place of Lucas Braga after a brilliant cameo in Buenos Aires off the bench. 

Santos may also welcome back Kaio Jorge, with the teenager now recovered from injury and available for selection.

San Lorenzo are without defender Diego Braghieri, who suffered a muscle strain in last week's first leg. 

They do welcome back goalkeeper Sebastian Torrico, with the veteran now recovered from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of action since the end of 2020, although he is unlikely to start in Brasilia.

Probable Santos XI:  João Paulo; Pará, Kaiky, Luan Peres, Felipe Jonatan; Alison, Ivonei, Gabriel Pirani; Marinho, Marinho, Kaio Jorge, Soteldo.

Probable San Lorenzo XI:   Devecchi; Herrera, Donatti, Gattoni, Pittón; O. Romero, Rodríguez, Ramírez; A. Romero, Fernandez, Di Santo.

Watch the Copa Libertadores live on Fanatiz. Sign up for a free trial now.

Paris Saint-Germain are through to the semi-final of the Champions League despite losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the quarter-final reverse fixture played on Tuesday night.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s 40th-minute effort separated both teams at the Parc des Princes. Nonetheless, the French team advanced by defeating the Bundesliga side on away goals.

PSG will now await the winners of the contest between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund in the competition's last four. 

As expected, football fans took to social media to share their thoughts following the outcome of the encounter.

Ghana international Mubarak Wakaso has revealed the bankruptcy of his former club Jiangsu Suning forced him to move to Shenzhen FC.

On Monday, the latter club announced their acquisition of the midfielder, together with compatriot Frank Acheampong, ahead of the start of the 2021 Chinese Super League in the coming weekend.

The move comes two months after Jiangsu folded after being declared bankrupt and consequently disqualified from the league.

“It is true I am in China at the moment. My former club went bankrupt, so I became a free player. I was talking to other clubs and currently, I have found a new club," Wakaso has said on his new move, as reported by Pathofex.

“I have joined the new team with Frank Acheampong who has played here in China for a while. I have signed a four-year contract with the team. I don’t know about the contract details of Frank Acheampong.

“When I came here I realised the league is very competitive, looking at the top players from Europe to have joined the league."

Interestingly, Wakaso and Jiangsu won the Chinese Super League in November, only two months before their predicament.

The 30-year-old joined his former club in January last year, leaving La Liga side Deportivo Alaves.

Last season, he made 18 league appearances for the side, starting in all but two of the matches.

He will hope to make more appearances for new club Shenzhen in the coming season, playing alongside Acheampong.

“Yes, I think when they [Chinese clubs] sign you, they will sign you [as] a professional player so they have to feel your impact - be like a role model to the Chinese players," Acheampong told Untold Stories TV.

"They want to lift the local players on how they play and by [that], they have to learn from the foreigners.

“So whatever you bring on and off the pitch is what they think their local players are learning, so to play in China is not just about the playing but it is like you being an inspiration to their players."

Acheampong joined Shenzhen from Tianjin Teda, where he led the team as captain last season. 

Freddie Ladapo was Rotherham United’s hero as they overcame Queens Park Rangers 3-1 in Tuesday’s EFL Championship encounter.

The Super Eagles prospect got a second-half double to inspire the Millers to a comfortable home win – which did their battle against relegation a lot of good.

Having defeated Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 last time out, the Superhoops travelled to the New York Stadium with the ambition of consolidating on that result, but they ended up on the losing side.

QPR had the first chance at goal when George Thomas was fouled by Shaun MacDonald and Stefan Johansen fired a free-kick forward – which caught the hosts’ backline unawares – nonetheless, Thomas slammed his volley over the bar.

In the 29th minute, Paul Warne’s side came close to scoring when Ryan Giles teed up Matt Crook, but he dragged his shot wide after displacing Rob Dickie.

Seven minutes into the second half, QPR took the lead courtesy of Lyndon Dykes, who fired into the roof of Viktor Johansson’s goal thanks to an assist from Osman Kakay.

That lead lasted for just 12 minutes before Ladapo levelled matters for the home team. Substitute Lewis Wing showed quick feet to find the Anglo-Nigerian, who chested the ball down before unleashing a left-footed shot past Senegalese goalkeeper Seny Dieng.

Two minutes later, he completed his double after beating the offside trap to put his team ahead. Michael Smith sealed the victory by scoring the third goal in the 90th minute.

Ladapo, who now boasts of 11 goals in the English second tier so far, was substituted for Kieran Sadlier with nine minutes left on the clock.

Whereas his copatriot Matthew Olosunde was subbed off for Richard Woods in the 46th minute while Michael Ihiekwe and Chiedozie Ogbene were not dressed for action.

For QPR, Dieng was in action from start to finish alongside Sierra Leonean defender Osman Kakay. Zimbabwe's Macauley Bonne was thrown into the fray for Charlie Kelman in the 67th minute, while Ghana’s Albert Adomah was an unused substitute.

Despite this result, Rotherham United still languish in the relegation zone. With 39 points from 38 games, they occupy the 22nd spot, while QPR stay in the 11th spot with 56 points.

African giants Cameroon have crashed out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualifiers, 13 months after being defeated by Zambia.

The Indomitable Lionesses suffered a 2-1 defeat in the Caf–Conmebol intercontinental playoff first leg tie on Saturday, and appeared to be facing a fading chance of making an Olympic return.

Camila Saez and Carla Guerrero's efforts in either half handed La Roja the important first leg away advantage despite Ajara Nchout's late goal for the Africans in Antalya, Turkey.

While only victory would be enough for Cameroon to stand a chance of progression, Chile knew that they would progress if they avoided defeat, regardless of the drawing result at the same venue.

However, the 0-0 draw in the second leg of the playoff - as the Chileans claimed a 2-1 win on aggregate to ensure they secured their first-ever qualification ticket to the Olympic Games this summer.

Nchout and Gabrielle Onguene came close for the visitors but the Atletico Madrid star failed to put the ball past Chile goalkeeper Christiane Endler.

On the other hand, the Chileans enjoyed their positive moments in front of goal when Yanara Aedo and Guerrero came close but Cameroon goalkeeper Michaely Bihina did well to halt them. 

After the break, the Central Africans saw more of the ball until they were reduced to 10-player when Brigitte Omboudou was handed a red card, having got her second yellow card in the 64th minute.

Every effort to crawl back into the contest by the Cameroonians were futile as Jose Letelier's side held on to force a stalemate.

The result ended Cameroon's dream for an Olympic return since London 2012, while Chile earned their first ever qualification ticket to the Games this summer.

With the win, Chile become the 12th team at the Games, after Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Great Britain, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, holders the USA, Zambia and hosts Japan.

As the only African representative, Zambia will find out their opponents in the finals draw is scheduled on 21 April at Fifa headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) technical team advisor Dylan Kerr says they will be ready for whoever wins between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

Vhadau Vha Damani are awaiting the winner between Sundowns and Pirates, with the two PSL giants set to collide in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Thursday. 

Tshakhuma will then be away to the winner in a semi-final encounter on Sunday and Kerr has insisted that they do not have any preference.

"You have to beat the rest and be the best. We do not have any predilection any team that wins we will be prepared for them," Kerr told Daily Sun. 

Vhadau Vha Damani have improved since Kerr joined the club two months ago, having eliminated SuperSport United, Swallows FC and Black Leopards from this season's Nedbank Cup. 

The Limpopo-based side has also climbed out of the relegation zone in the PSL as they are currently placed 14th on the standings, and they secured a 2-0 win over TS Galaxy in their most recent game on April 10.

Kerr, who has coached Baroka FC and Leopards in the PSL, believes his charges have what it takes to stun the whole country by going all the way and clinching the Nedbank Cup

"I told them [players] not to think financially. Football is not about money," the well-travelled tactician continued. 

"It is about winning things; 97% of the players in this team it is their last chance to lift silverware with the Nedbank Cup.

"So, I told them to give it their best shot and win. I know nobody believes or fancies us to win anything and we have to go against the odds."

Kerr was initially thought to have joined Tshakhuma as the head coach with Mpho Maleka and David Mathebula serving as his two assistants, but the club recently explained that the Englishman is serving as a technical team advisor.

However, the retired defender, who played for Premier League side Leeds United during his playing days, insisted that he knows exactly what he is doing at Tshakhuma. 

"I believe in what I am doing," Kerr said.

Mathebula and Maleka sit on the bench on matchdays, while Kerr usually watches from the stands and he has been seen shouting instructions to the players during the games. 

Kerr won two successive Kenyan Premier League titles during his time with Gor Mahia between 2017 and 2018 as the head coach.

Jorge Ortiz is expected to play one of the leading roles for FC Goa in the 2021 AFC Champions League (ACL).

With Indian Super League (ISL) season 7 Golden Boot winner Igor Angulo and midfielder Alberto Noguera among the excluded foreigners in head coach Juan Ferrando's 28-member squad for the Asian competition, Ortiz explained to Goal what he expects from himself and the team. 

What did Jorge Ortiz say?

Having been preferred over Igor Angulo, the 28-year-old said, "It's the decision of the coach. I've played in various positions in attack this season. My aim is to try and do my best, whether on the wing or in the attack."

In fact, it will not be the first time that Ortiz will be starting upfront in the absence of Igor Angulo. He was deployed as the number nine in Goa's 3-0 win over Jamshedpur from when Angulo started on the bench for three consecutive games. Ortiz was picked above his compatriots in the second leg of the semi-final against Mumbai City as well.

Speaking of his best display in the recently concluded ISL season, the traditional winger who scored six times and registered an assist has picked out the goalless draw against Mumbai City as one that pleased him the most.

"I think the obvious one people would expect me to say is the game against Jamshedpur because I scored a couple of goals but from the perspective of overall performance and how happy I was, I would say the two semi-finals because (against Mumbai City) the team showed how well we can play and we matched them toe-to-toe. I think we were more superior to them. So I think that was the best performance we had this season," he reasoned.

Will FC Goa miss Angulo?

Ortiz acknowledged that the ACL is a level above what FC Goa have been used to playing in the ISL while giving his opinion on the absence of Angulo in the squad.

"This tournament is obviously a level above everything we have been playing in so far. We are going to try and do what we do best but it's not just about us. It's about understanding what the other teams are capable of and making sure that we give them competition in every single game. 

"It's a tough decision to leave somebody out and we'll obviously miss all the players who might not be selected because of the rules or injuries. Obviously, we are going to miss players with quality but our aim is to try and do the best we can with the players available.

"We have to try and win a game in the (Asian) Champions League for us to demonstrate our level and that's the challenge we are going to face as a team, not individually," he concluded.