ISL 2023-24: Bengaluru FC, Goa aim to build momentum

Bengaluru FC did a league double over Goa in ISL 2022-23.

After a pretty entertaining ISL 2023-24 Gameweek 4, the focus now shifts to Gameweek 5 where 10 teams will be in action unlike last week. And to begin with, Bengaluru FC will host FC Goa at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Blues were given an off last week and will return to action after 20 days, having played their last game on October 4. The stage looks set for a highly anticipated fixture between two good sides.

On that note, let us take a look at how things stand.

The Stakes

Bengaluru FC

The stakes are pretty high for Bnegaluru FC going into this game. They lost their two opening fixtures against Kerala Blasters and Mohun Bagan, respectively. But the Blues bounced back in style against East Bengal earlier this month.

They come into this game on the back of a 2-1 comeback win over East Bengal and are certainly high on confidence. But, they’ll need to be careful against FC Goa who are in red hot form.

FC Goa

The Gaurs have had a dream start to their season and will want to build upon it come Wednesday. They have won all their three games and are in good shape. Moreover, they have pulled off two comeback wins out of their three wins this season.

Goa also come into this game on the back of a 1-2 comeback win over East Bengal where debut goals from Sandesh Jhingan and Victor Rodriguesz helped them seal the deal. The Gaurs are currently placed second in the table and are level on points with table toppers Mohun Bagan.

Team and Injury News

Noah Sadaoui might not appear for FC Goa. Bengaluru FC have a fit roster.

Head-to-Head

Both sides have played each other 13 times in total. Bengaluru FC have the upper hand with seven wins to their name while FC Goa only has three wins to show for their efforts. The other three games have ended in a stalemate.

BFC wins - 7

FCG wins - 3

Draw - 3

Predicted Line-ups

Bengaluru FC (4-2-1-3)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Parag Shrivas, Slavko Damjanovic, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Jessel Carneiro, Javi Hernandez, Rohit Kumar, Sunil Chhetri, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Curtis Main, Namgyal Bhutia.

FC Goa (4-2-3-1)

Arshdeep Singh (GK), Seriton Fernandes, Odei Onaindia, Sandesh Jhingan, Jay Gupta, Raynier Fernandes, Carl McHugh, Udanta Singh, Victor Rodriguez, Brandon Fernandes, Carlos Martinez.

Players to watch

Javi Hernandez (Bengaluru FC)

Javi has been in great form ever since signing for Bengaluru FC. The Spanish midfielder is always involved in the thick of things for his side. He is responsible for creating chances and executing key passes for the Blues.

The Spaniard is an influential player for Bengaluru FC in the final third and has made multiple key contributions. He scored a wonder goal in the last game against East Bengal as he perfectly executed an overhead kick to win the game for his side. Goan midfielders need to keep an eye on him!

Victor Rodriguez (FC Goa)

It took some time for the Spaniard to settle into FC Goa’s system, but now that he has settled in well, he looks unstoppable. Rodriguez played a key role in FC Goa’s victory over East Bengal last week. He scored the winning goal and also created the equaliser which was well met by a header from Sandesh Jhingan. Victor has a goal and two assists to his name in three games this season.

Did You Know?

• Both Bengaluru FC and FC Goa defeated East Bengal 2-1 in their last fixture.
• This fixture averages three goals per game.
• Bengaluru FC completed the league double over FC Goa last season.

Telecast

The kick-off for the Bengaluru FC vs FC Goa game is at 8:00 PM IST. The match will be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. The live broadcast and live streaming of the game will be available on the Sports18 Network (Sports18 1 Channel/VH1 Channel) and JioCinema app, respectively. Viewers from abroad can tune into OneFootball for exclusive streaming.