FC Goa vs Punjab FC preview, team news, lineup & prediction | Kalinga Super Cup 2025

The Gaurs will be on the hunt for their second Kalinga Super Cup title in club history.

Indian Super League club FC Goa will be pushing for their second Kalinga Super Cup title when they face Punjab FC in the quarterfinals. The game set to take place on Saturday at the Kalinga Stadium presents an exciting game between two units that recorded important victories in the round of 16.

FC Goa began their campaign with an impressive 3-0 win over Gokulam Kerala FC courtesy of an Iker Guarrotxena hat-trick. While the Shers dumped out the hosts with a 3-0 win of their own courtesy of goals from Asmir Suljic, Ezequiel Vidal, and Nihal Sudeesh.

The Kalinga Super Cup 2025 quarterfinals are set, and four exciting fixtures await! #IndianFootball #KalingaSuperCup pic.twitter.com/PZoGHKMZJx

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) April 25, 2025

The Stakes

FC Goa

FC Goa will definitely be the favorites when they take the field in their next match against Punjab FC. They are gonna field a significantly stronger side with quality bench depth at the Kalinga Stadium, a ground which they have played in during the 2024-25 ISL campaign.

Luckily, the Gaurs find themselves in imperious form following a dominant 3-0 win over Gokulam Kerala FC. They will be facing a rejuvenated Shers side who seem to have put the disappointment of the 2024-25 ISL season.

Punjab FC

Although Punjab FC improved their game compared to their performance in the 2024-25 ISL campaign, the Shers have kicked off their Super Cup campaign on the right foot. Punjab seems to have gotten their groove back as they dispatched home favorites Odisha FC by a 3-0 scoreline. 

Punjab have played two matches against FC Goa in ISL 2024-25, which has resulted in losses for the Shers. With the game against the Gaurs coming up, the Shers need to step up their game on Saturday.

ALSO READ: Kalinga Super Cup 2025: Quarterfinal fixtures set

Team and Injury News:

The Gaurs will have a fully-fit squad ahead of the Punjab FC game.

The Shers will have a fully-fit squad ahead of the FC Goa game.

Head-to-Head Record:

Total Matches Played – 4

FC Goa wins – 3

Punjab FC wins – 0 

Draws – 1

Predicted Lineups:

FC Goa (4-2-3-1)

Hritik Tiwari (GK), Boris Singh, Odei Onaindia, Sandesh Jhingan, Aakash Sangwan, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Sahil Tavora, Udanta Singh, Dejan Dražić, Brison Fernandes, Iker Guarrotxena

Punjab FC (4-3-3)

Ravi Kumar (GK), Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Suresh Meitei, Ivan Novoselec, Abhishek Singh, Nikhil Prabhu, Filip Mrzljak, Muhammad Suhail, Ezequiel Vidal, Nihal Sudeesh, Luka Majcen

Players to Watch

Iker Guarrotxena (FC Goa)

Guarrotxena will be a huge determining factor in how FC Goa performs in the quarterfinals game against the Shers. The 32-year-old striker was exceptional up front for Marquez’s men scoring seven goals and creating three assists in 19 ISL regular season games.

The Spaniard seems to have carried his form from the ISL regular season into the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 as he scored a fabulous hattrick against Gokulam Kerala FC in the round of 16. He will be a key player ahead of the encounter against the Shers.

Luka Majcen (Punjab FC)

Punjab FC will rely on the form of Luka Majcen in the match to move ahead in the tournament. The 35-year-old veteran has been one of their key performers in the last couple of seasons.

He has scored 10 goals for his side in ISL 2024-25 and has also provided three assists. His stats also include 216 successful passes. He has also created 14 chances for his side and has made 11 key passes.

While the forward was not in the squad for their round of 16 game against Odisha, he will definitely look to take their team ahead in the tournament. While their aim would be to reach either the final or the semi-final stage of Kalinga Super Cup, Majcen needs to be in top form for that possibility. 

Did You Know?

• FC Goa have won both of their last two encounters against Punjab FC.
• Punjab FC have won twice in their last five games in all competitions.
• Iker Guarrotxena has made 13 goals contributions in 21 games in all competitions.

Telecast Details:

The match between FC Goa and Punjab FC will take place at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. It will kick off at 8:00 PM IST. The match will be shown live on Star Sports 3 and be available to livestream on JioHotstar.

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