AFC Champions League
With Cristiano Ronaldo not in the squad and the likes of Anderson Talisca, Aymeric Laporte and Sadio Mane among those starting on the bench, Al Nassr needed an Abdulrahman Ghareeb goal for a share of the points against Tajikistan's FC Istiklol.
Castro said he opted for a relativily unfamiliar lineup to give the fringe players match exposure and to keep the regulars fresh for their Saudi Pro League 2023/24 campaign.
#ACL - Group E | FC Istiklol (TJK) 1 - 1 Al Nassr (KSA)
"The match was in two stages. We were not good in the first half due to our positioning, even though we controlled the ball.
"In the second half, we corrected the mistakes, were able to score a goal, and played well," said Castro.
With the AFC Champions League to only resume in February, Al Nassr's focus will shift to their Saudi Pro League 2023/24 campaign, with Castro's side to face Al Riyadh on Friday.
"The players have a match in two days, and we have a trip now, and then preparation will begin tomorrow. My goal today was to give some of the players a greater opportunity to play."
Al Nassr sit second in the Saudi Pro League standins, seven points behind Al Hilal SFC.
