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On Saturday, FC Goa will take on Bengaluru FC in their third home match of the Indian Super League 2022-23 season, at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa. Contrary to previous instances, the upcoming clash is slated for an early kick-off, at 5:30pm IST.
Both teams will arrive at the match on the back of contrasting fortunes. While Bengaluru FC, currently in 10th place are on a four-match losing streak, the Gaurs won their most recent assignment, at home against ATK Mohun Bagan and are in fourth place.
Another victory will help the Men of Orange climb to third, just one point behind league leaders Hyderabad FC. The Blues will also be eyeing for the three points, which would result in them replacing East Bengal FC at eighth place.
FC Goa head coach Carlos Pena spoke at the pre-match press conference on Friday, where he lauded his team’s positive start. “It’s a great start in terms of results. We are a new coaching staff, we got a few new players, and our squad is among the youngest in the league in terms of average age. Hence, in terms of results until now, I think we’ve shown that we can compete against any team,” he said.
“On the other hand, we are also a team that’s still under construction, and we must improve in many aspects of the game. I’m sure, however, that with ambition and commitment from everyone, we’re on the right path.”
The 38-year-old also commented on their recent win over ATK Mohun Bagan and how it leads up to preparations ahead of facing Bengaluru, saying, “In victories like the last one you also have areas where you can improve. We need to go on to the next game against Bengaluru FC with the same mentality and with the same hunger we showed on Sunday. Any other way means we’ll have serious problems in playing a good match against them.”
“Bengaluru FC has always been a club with a winning mentality. They have experienced players in the squad. In football, the past is pointless. It will only matter as to how we approach this particular game,” he further added.
The contrasting runs of form for both teams make Saturday’s clash an intriguing affair. While FC Goa will be keen to secure their third home win on the trot, Bengaluru FC will look to end their losing streak and finally get their league campaign on track.
Both teams have been strong defensively so far this season. While the Gaurs have conceded just five times across six matches, the Blues let eight in across six games. Four of those came against Mumbai City alone – the only match where their defence had an off day.
Simon Grayson, Bengaluru FC’s coach, usually prefers his team to be versatile in both attack and defence. Given the star-studded squad at his disposal that includes the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Roy Krishna, Javi Hernandez, Udanta Singh, Suresh Wangjam, Sandesh Jhingan and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu among others, one can expect the Blues to go all out in terms of attack while maintaining defensive stability.
Pena, meanwhile, finds it most comfortable for his team to stick to their regular footballing style, infused with plenty of passes. With Bengaluru FC likely to play on the backfoot, the Spaniard could look to use it to his advantage in playing with the ball to create goal-scoring opportunities.
The Gaurs’ attack which boasts of Noah Sadaoui, Iker Guarrotxena and Brandon Fernandes are in good form, and should play a key role in deciding the result on Saturday.
There's no place for complacency, let's keep the momentum going 💪#ForcaGoa #UzzoOnceAgain #FCGBFC pic.twitter.com/ZSXYitfeQ5
— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) November 25, 2022
