FC Goa vs East Bengal: Three Key Battles to watch in AIFF Super Cup Final

FC Goa will aim for back-to-back Super Cup titles.

FC Goa look to successfully defend their Super Cup title in the final of the 2025 AIFF Super Cup against East Bengal on Sunday, 7 December 2025. This will be the match between two teams who have ground their way to the finale, overcoming many tricky obstacles in their course to take a step closer to winning the coveted championship.

This is expected to be a highly entertaining finale between two teams who have played some attractive attacking football all throughout the Super Cup. The Gaurs might not have been able to perform as well in the AFC Champions League Two this season, but they’ve showcased resilience and decisiveness with their performances in the Super Cup to reach the final for the second consecutive edition.

East Bengal, meanwhile, eliminated Mohun Bagan from the group stages and are coming into the match at the back of a compelling win over Punjab FC. With both these teams having their share of high-quality players, this Super Cup finale is expected to be a tightly contested, intense affair.

However, it might end up being decided by the small margins, which involves certain players. There will be some really eye-catching duels in the Super Cup final, and whichever player comes out on top of these crucial battles will help their side reign supreme.

Here we look at the three key battles to watch in FC Goa vs East Bengal.

3. Dejan Drazic vs Mohamad Rakip

FC Goa are going to need to take the fight to East Bengal and be extremely proactive in the opposition half to cause Oscar Bruzon’s side real problems. With Iker Guarrotxena suspended for the match, it means a lot of creative responsibilities will again be falling upon their winger, Dejan Drazic.

He is expected to assume the left-wing role against the Red & Gold Brigade, which means it’ll be upon Mohamad Rakip to keep the feisty winger quiet. Rakip has arguably been one of East Bengal’s best players in their Super Cup campaign so far, producing some high-quality performances and keeping tricky wingers like Liston Colaco and Leon Augustine quiet.

Rakip will, however, need to up the ante and be even more strict with his marking and quick tackles to unnerve Drazic. The FC Goa winger will be looking to create trouble through the left wing, which involves being unpredictable with his forward runs and accurate with his final delivery to be able to set up big chances. There should be a lot of aggressiveness in this duel because of the attitude of both players, and whoever wins it can bag a major advantage for their club.

2. Jay Gupta vs Brison Fernandes

While a feisty battle can be expected in the Drazic-Rakip duel, another very interesting duel is also going to take place on the other wing! That is because former teammates Brison Fernandes and Jay Gupta look set to face off against each other in the Super Cup final.

After having played with each other in the past, these two players know quite a lot about each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and that should result in a fascinating battle. Brison heads into this match at the back of an impressive display against Mumbai City, against whom he scored a stunning goal as well.

Gupta should feature in the East Bengal starting lineup for this clash, and he will need to be at his hard-working best to keep his former teammate quiet. Brison will be looking to be rapid and add variety to his movement in the final third so that he can create space for himself to create chances or test the goalkeeper.

Gupta’s job, however, will be to stay close to him and stop Brison from getting at the end of chances, while the left-back also must look to support Bipin Singh with overlapping runs to help create more chances.

1. Miguel Ferreira vs Borja Herrera

Miguel Ferreira and Borja Herrera have both been influential players for East Bengal and FC Goa, respectively in the AIFF Super Cup, producing some eye-catching performances en route to the final. Herrera has scored two goals for the Gaurs, and while Ferreira doesn’t have any goals in the competition so far, he’s been a driving force for the Gaurs in the Super Cup.

Ferreira was especially excellent in the win over Punjab FC, setting up two goals to help his side get to the final. This midfield battle between the two hard-working players for either team should make for a fascinating watch for the fans. Miguel will look to use his physicality and trickery to drive his side forward into the key areas and set up big chances.

Herrera, meanwhile, looks to come back to haunt his former side as he’ll look to be energetic in regularly regaining possession in the midfield as well as making late runs from midfield to enhance their goal-scoring capability. Considering the influence of both players, whoever can cancel other the other can help their side get a big advantage and potentially win the tie.

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