FC Goa seek to build momentum against high-flying Hyderabad FC

The Nizams are yet to win a match against the Gaurs in the ISL.

In a Super-Saturday encounter, FC Goa will be locking horns with Hyderabad FC at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim. The home side, FC Goa, have six points and are currently eighth on the table. Meanwhile, Hyderabad are sitting comfortably in third position with 10 points. Both teams come into this match after two back-to-back wins and will go all guns blazing for the third in a row.

The Stakes

FC Goa

FC Goa have had a poor start to the campaign and the team wasn’t at its best in the first few games. But, after defeating SC East Bengal, the Gaurs gathered confidence and have started to deliver. They beat Bengaluru FC in their previous encounter to move up to the eighth position on the table. A win against Hyderabad FC will take the Goan side to fifth, depending on the result between Chennaiyin FC and Odisha who play earlier in the day.

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Hyderabad FC

The Nizams have had a good start to the campaign. In the five matches they’ve played, three have resulted in a victory. In fact, they also outplayed NorthEast United (5-1) in their previous game. Hyderabad FC will be planning to get all three points under their belt and progress a place higher.

Team News

FC Goa will be missing Jorge Ortiz Mendoza, who is suspended for tomorrow’s game. Brandon Fernandes and Redeem Tlang too, have been out of action for quite some time now due to injuries. They are also expected to miss the clash against the Nizams. Apart from this, the Gaurs have a fully fit squad for tomorrow.

On the other hand, Mohammad Yasir is unavailable for Hyderabad FC. Halicharan Narzary may make it into the matchday squad.

Head-to-Head

Since Hyderabad FC’s introduction to the league in 2019, the Gaurs have played four times against them. FC Goa have won on three occasions, while nother game ended as a draw. A total of nine goals have been scored in this encounter; seven in favour of FC Goa and two for Hyderabad FC.

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Probable Lineups

FC Goa (3-5-2): Dheeraj (GK); Mohamed Ali, Gonzalez, Dohling; Seriton, Martins, Noguera, Bedia, Gama; Murgaonkar, Cabrera.

Hyderabad FC (4-5-1): Kattimani (GK); Rai, Chinglensana, Juanan, Mishra; Victor, Hitesh, Poojary, Garcia, Danu; Ogbeche.

Man to Watch

Alberto Noguera (FC Goa)

Alberto Noguera is the one who bosses the midfield for the Gaurs and orchestrates the play. The Spanish midfielder has shown his dynamic nature in the last two games. The way in which he combined with Jorge Ortiz was really commendable.

But, it is to be seen how he performs in Ortiz’s absence and gels together with Devendra Murgaonkar and Airam Cabrera. A few assists are what the fans expect from him, if not goals.

Bartholomew Ogbeche

The 37-year-old Nigerian is in scintillating form. Bartholomew Ogbeche scored a brace against NorthEast United in the last match. He is currently the joint top-scorer along with Igor Angulo (Mumbai City) with five goals.

The way in which he is progressing on a daily basis, it is possible that he goes past Ferran Corominas and Sunil Chhetri in the all-time top-scorer list. Hyderabad FC boss Manolo Marquez will be hoping for a few goals from his main man up front.

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Did You Know?

• Hyderabad FC haven’t yet defeated FC Goa in the Indian Super League.
• The Nizams are the only side to beat table-toppers Mumbai City this season.
• In tomorrow’s encounter, FC Goa’s Edu Bedia and Hyderabad FC’s Juanan will be the players with the most ISL appearances (76) on the pitch.

Telecast

The match will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network and live-streamed on Disney+Hotstar and Jio TV. The match commences at 9:30 pm.

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