Durand Cup 2022 Preview: In form Bengaluru FC face inconsistent FC Goa

Both Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna have scored in the previous two outings for the Blues.

Defending Durand Cup champions FC Goa face Bengaluru FC in the Durand Cup's Group A fixture. BFC have played two and won two, while Goa have won one and lost two from their three games so far. The Gaurs began their title defence with a 3-1 defeat to group leaders Mohammedan SC. In their next encounter, they went on to beat Indian Air Force 1-0, before suffering a crushing 1-0 loss to Jamshedpur FC. There are slim chances of FC Goa making it to the knockout stage. Everything will depend on this fixture at the Salt Lake Stadium.

Bengaluru FC meanwhile, held on despite Hira Mondal’s sending-off to hand Jamshedpur a 1-2 defeat. They trounced the Airmen 4-0 in their next fixture, with goals from Roy Krishna, Sunil Chhetri, Faisal Ali, and Sivasakthi Narayanan. Needless of mention, a point will be enough to get the Blues through to the quarter-final. But as per the fluidity they have displayed in the event, three points will be the target for Simon Grayson & co.

The Stakes

Bengaluru FC

As mentioned earlier, BFC need just one point to qualify for the quarter-finals. They could test their bench strength and deploy different formations against their relatively inexperienced opponents. Simon Grayson will be happy with how this team is performing on the pitch. The defence looks hard to breach, while the attacking firepower has been on target. The link between Roy Krishna and Sunil Chhetri looks sharp.

FC Goa

The defeat against Jamshedpur leaves a lot of work to be done for FC Goa to qualify for the knockouts. They have played two and lost two at the Salt Lake Stadium, while their opponents will get a taste of the venue for the first time. The youngsters of Goa will look to put in some notable displays to catch the eye of Deggie Cardozo. Also, in order to secure a place in Carlos Pena's squad in the upcoming ISL, the lads need to showcase their brilliancy in this match, since their future at the competition is to be decided in the same.

Team news

Naorem Roshan Singh will join the BFC squad after shrugging off a bout of illness. FC Goa will have a fully fit contingent going into this encounter!

Head-to-head

In a fierce rivalry that always promises goals and action, BFC and FCG have played each other 11 times across all competitions. BFC hold the edge with five victories to Goa’s three. The sides have been involved in three draws. The clash has remained witness to 33 goals in total. Notably, BFC have out-scored Goa 19-14.

The duo faced off in the 2018-19 ISL finale, in which BFC prevailed 1-0 after Rahul Bheke’s extra-time goal and lifted the trophy.

Probable line-ups

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabir Das, Sandesh Jhingan, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Naorem Roshan Singh, Rohit Kumar, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Bruno Ramires, Namgyal Bhutia, Roy Krishna, Sunil Chhetri

FC Goa: Hrithik Tiwari, Deeshank Kunkalikar, Ayush Chhetri, Phrangki Buam, Delton Colaco, Salman Faris, Shannon Viegas, Mallikjan Kalegar, Lesly Rebello, Muhammed Nemil, Lalremruata HP

Man to watch

Roy Krishna (Bengaluru FC)

Roy Krishna has enjoyed a fruitful start to life as a blue, netting twice in two games. He has formed a telepathic understanding with Sunil Chhetri, with the two scoring four goals in the Durand Cup 2022. Even last season, an out-of-form Krishna netted seven goals for ATK Mohun Bagan. The Fijian will surely look to add to his goalscoring tally against Goa. The defenders of FC Goa shall face a tough challenge against the 34-year-old. The player will also be turning 35 on the matchday!

Lesly Rebello (FC Goa)

The 22-year-old centre back led the side against Jamshedpur and portrayed a commanding presence. He has shown maturity and growth since his RF Development League outings. He will have to be on his toes against BFC’s star-studded attack.

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Did you know?

• FC Goa remain the only ISL side to win the Durand Cup.
• BFC defeated the Gaurs to lift the ISL 2018-19 trophy.
• Goa beat BFC 7-6 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the 2021 Durand Cup semi-finals.
• As of now, Muhammed Nemil is the solitary goal-scorer for FC Goa in Durand Cup 2022.

Telecast

The match between Bengaluru FC and FC Goa is staged at the Salt Lake Stadium with a kick off time of 3 pm IST. The fixture will be telecasted live on Sports18 - Sports18 1 SD & HD and Sports18 Khel (Hindi commentary). Voot and JioTV will stream the match.