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The business end of the league stage is upon us and with the table stacked closer than ever, every point counts. Mumbai City FC are back in action in the ISL with a crucial tie against FC Goa at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim tonight in a late 9:30pm kick off.
After suffering a late defeat to Jamshedpur FC, the Islanders bounced back to winning ways when Des Buckingham’s side squared off against SC East Bengal last Tuesday. After a rather uneventful first half, the Islanders came out in the second with a purpose and struck in just a few minutes. Bipin Singh’s rifling shot from the edge the box beat Sankar Roy in goal on his near post as the Islanders took the lead in the 51st minute. The remainder of the night saw Nawaz pull out some incredible saves at one end and relentless attacking on the other. The final whistle meant Des Buckingham’s side finished the game 1-0 and back to winning ways.
FC Goa faced an ominous start to the 2021-22 campaign but managed to steady themselves after a strong run of results thereafter. But a shock move for head coach Juan Ferrando who switched allegiances mid-season to ATK Mohun Bagan saw the Gaurs’ ISL charge face a hit. Interim coach Derrick Pereira took charge and saw an overhaul in the results, most notably a 5-0 win against Chennaiyin FC not too long ago. But the Gaurs have since lost two consecutive games, albeit narrowly, meaning they are mathematically out of the contention for a spot in the top four coming into tonight’s game.
While he’s highlighted the importance of sticking true to our principles and style of football, Des Buckingham knows the threat FC Goa can pose irrespective of their position on the table. And as this fixture has shown over the years, when you are up against the Gaurs, there is always a challenge waiting.
Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham said, “It will be a fascinating battle between two teams who will try and take control. The edge will be with the team that makes better use of the ball and that is what we have been training on. We also will make sure we are set up well defensively to be able to press and try and dictate the game. It’ also important we stick to our principles and how we want to play. Hopefully, if we do that, we can continue on this run and pick up as many points as we can.”
The game will kick off at 9.30pm IST and will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, Hotstar, and Jio TV for all viewers in India.
