What did the young manager say?Jens Fessing admitted his Al-Ittihad side had to dig deep for their 2-1 win over Uzbekistan’s Neftchi Fergana in the third round of the AFC Champions League Elite. The coach praised a strong opponent and conceded his team struggled through the first half.Al-Ittihad should have wrapped it up by a bigger margin, Fessing reckoned, having carved out plenty of chances without putting them away. “It was a difficult win, as we faced difficulties against a strong opponent, and we suffered some problems in the first half,” he told the post-match press conference.Satisfaction outweighed frustration for the coach, even with so many openings spurned. What mattered most, he said, was banking the three points and taking the win.Read also: Video: Youssef En-Nesyri leads Al-Ittihad to a dramatic Asian win with a thunderous strikeNext matchesABHSaudi Pro League30 Oct 202621:45ITTTRAAFC Champions League Elite03 Nov 202600:00NEFOn the error during the match, Fessing shrugged that mistakes are part of football, whether from his own players or the referee. He singled out his team’s response after falling behind, praising their ability to haul the scoreline back and turn things their way.Fessing signed off by declaring himself delighted with the result. He admitted, though, that finishing those chances would have spared Al-Ittihad an anxious final few minutes.The winner arrived in the dying moments. Moroccan star Youssef En-Nesyri settled it with a direct free-kick.
