Preview: Bengaluru, FC Goa hoping to regain foothold in playoffs race

The Gaurs won the reverse fixture by a 2-1 margin earlier this season.

Two teams experiencing a varied run of form yet running neck-to-neck on the points table face off when Bengaluru FC take on FC Goa at the Athletic Stadium, Bambolim in 2021-22 Indian Super League's first game of the double-header on Sunday.

Bengaluru FC arrive into the clash on the back of a five-match unbeaten run. After being pushed to second-bottom, the Blues commenced a turnaround mid-December, which sees them now 8th on the table. A win against FC Goa could take them to 16 points and two places higher.

The Stakes

Bengaluru FC

The Blues have adopted an entertaining brand of football lately, rubber-stamped by their 3-0 win against defending champions Mumbai City FC in the last outing. Marco Pezzaiuoli has been buoyed by Prince Ibara's newfound goalscoring form. His physicality, strength, and aerial ability makes Bengaluru FC dangerous from set-piece situations. He has scored two goals off corners this season. Three of the four goals scored by the Congolese striker have been headers.

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Full-back Roshan Singh is having a breakout season as well. The 22-year-old already has five assists to his name. He requires one more to become the highest Indian assist provider in a single ISL season. Interestingly, Three of Ibara's four goals have come off Roshan's assists.

The last time these two sides net, FC Goa nicked the game 2-1 at the same venue. Bengaluru Head Coach Pezzaiuoli is confident of negating a repeat. "We have learnt from our mistakes from the first game. We have now got some good momentum and our players are motivated to do well," said the German tactician.

FC Goa

FC Goa Head Coach Derrick Pereira had praise for Bengaluru FC. "They have changed their formation and playing style. They will be a tough side to beat."

The Gaurs have not been experiencing the best of results on the field. They failed to win their last two games - both against opponents placed lower on the league table. Gifting SC East Bengal their first win of the season midweek only rubbed salt onto their wounds. FC Goa have played 12 games, winning only three. They are placed ninth on the table with 13 points in their kitty.

"It is true that things have not been going according to plan but we are now going into the games with a different mindset. I believe miracles happen," Pereira said, still hoping to make the semi-finals.

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Lack of bite in the final third has been FC Goa's Achilles Heel. They have the lowest goal conversion rate out of all teams (7.6%). However, they have attempted the most shots so far (184) and the second-most shots/match (15.33) this season.

Team News

Bengaluru FC head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli said another player tested positive for COVID19 yesterday. However, there are no injury concerns. For FC Goa, Brandon Fernandes could return into the matchday squad after recovering from his injury.

Head-to-Head

Bengaluru FC and FC Goa have faced each other in 10 matches and the former lead the H2H record with five wins. The Gaurs have won three of those games, while two matches have ended in draws. Derrick Pereira's men, however, won the reverse fixture by a 2-1 margin.

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

Probable Lineups

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK) (C), Naorem Roshan Singh, Pratik Chaudhari, Alan Costa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Suresh Wangjam, Bruno Ramires, Danish Farooq, Udanta Singh, Prince Ibara, Cleiton Silva.

FC Goa: Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem (GK), Leander D'Cunha, Anwar Ali, Alexander Romario Jesuraj, Edu Bedia (C), Alberto Noguera, Glan Martins, Saviour Gama, Jorge Ortiz, Airam Cabrera.

Did You Know:

• Bengaluru FC have been awarded the highest number of penalties so far this season (4).
• With a pass success rate of 80.2%, FC Goa are on top of the standings in terms of accurate passes per match.
• Bengaluru FC are winless in their last four matches against FC Goa.

Telecast

Bengaluru FC's match against FC Goa will be played at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on January 23 (Sunday). The game will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network. The match will also be live streamed on the Disney+Hotstar platform and the JioTV app.

For more football updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.