High-flying FC Goa face Odisha FC at home

A win will help the Gaurs to leapfrog Bengaluru FC to the top of the table once again.

Riding on momentum, FC Goa and Odisha FC will go head-to-head at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Sunday evening. FC Goa made a statement when they dominated ATK, while Odisha FC, after a lot of initial stutters, broke their shackles with an emphatic 3-2 win over Hyderabad FC.

With both teams eager to carry forward their winning momentum going into the business end of the season, it is set to be a tightly contested affair and a great spectacle for the fans.

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The Stakes

FC Goa

Should they win this match, FC Goa will once again go on top of the table. Sergio Lobera's men will be eager to clinch that top spot and be the first team to qualify for the AFC Champions League next season and with the dynamics changing with every passing match, the Gaurs will be keen to keep up their winning momentum.

Odisha FC

Odisha FC have finally got a morale-boosting win over Hyderabad FC in their previous game and can transform that into their next match against FC Goa. A win here will take Josep Gombau's men right into the contention of making it to the playoffs.

Team News

FC Goa

The best news for Sergio Lobera will be Ferran Corominas' return from injury against ATK as the Spaniard also scored the winner. Other than the talismanic striker, Lobera has a fully fit squad to chose from for this match.

Odisha FC

Josep Gambau would not want to tinker with the same squad which won against Hyderabad FC in their last match. However, a red card to Vinit Rai means the India international is suspended for the clash against the Gaurs and Gombau may have to bring in Bikramjit Singh in his place.

Head-To-Head

FC Goa have always had the upper hand over Odisha FC, formerly Delhi Dynamos. The Gaurs have won seven out of the 12 clashes in the Indian Super League. While Delhi Dynamos have only won twice with the other three ending in a stalemate.

F Goa also defeated Delhi Dynamos in the 2015 ISL semifinal.

Man To Watch

Brandon Fernandes (FC Goa)

The India international has been in red hot form this season for FC Goa and is currently leading the assists charts with five assists from eight matches till now. Brandon has been the driving force for Goa this season and will be a crucial cog against Odisha FC.

Xisco Hernandez (Odisha FC)

The former Bengaluru FC man has been the fulcrum in midfield for Josep Gombau. Xisco has been the lynchpin in midfield for Odisha FC and having already scored four goals, proves that apart from creating chances for his teammates, he can also score a few himself. His presence in the Odisha FC midfield will be crucial for them to salvage anything against FC Goa.

Predicted Lineup

FC Goa

Nawaz; Seriton, Fall, Pena, Mandar; Lenny, Jahouh, Jackichand, Boumous; Brandon, Corominas.

Odisha FC

Arshdeep; Sarangi, Diagne, Delgado, Das; Bikramjit, Tebar, Jerry, Xisco, Nanadhakumar; Santana.

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Did You Know?

• Odisha FC's main attacking impetus is dependent on three players. Xisco Hernandez, Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Aridane Santana have taken the load of scoring goals and all of them have had involvements in five goals.
• Odisha FC (erstwhile Delhi Dynamos) have always been a bogey team for FC Goa, as the Gaurs tend to dominate this fixture winning seven out of total 12 fixtures.
• The Gaurs have played the highest number of passes (3798) and scored the second highest numbers of goals until now (15).

Broadcast

The game will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 and Stars Sports 2 HD from 7:30 PM IST. The live stream will be on Hotstar and Jio TV.