In-form FC Goa welcomes leaders Mohun Bagan Super Giant to the Fatorda Stadium for a blockbuster clash in their last game of the year.
GOA vs MBG Match Details
Date: Friday, 20 December 2024
Time: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Fatorda Stadium, Goa
GOA vs MBG Match Preview
After a slow start to the season, FC Goa has found its spark again under Manolo Marquez. The team has not lost in the past six matches with 12 goals scored and only five conceded. One of the top results in that period was the Gaurs defeating then-unbeaten Bengaluru FC 3-0 at home, whom they drew 2-2 in the reverse clash last weekend. The draw felt like a loss for the inaugural Shield winners as they lost a two-goal lead in the final 20 minutes of the match with their four-game winning streak also ending. Their recent form has pulled them to the fourth spot with 19 points earned from 11 games although they remain seven points behind the top spot. FC Goa will face the leaders Mohun Bagan in their next game which happens to be their last league affair of the year. Hence, Marquez’s side has a golden opportunity to grab three points on Friday and reduce the gap. However, it is not as simple as it looks with the Shield winners in top form this season having lost just once and looking to be the first team to defend their honour successfully. Goa has struggled at home but are looking for a third straight victory at Fatorda for the season which will be a motivating factor to get them over the line in this clash.
Trailing 2-1 with little over 15 minutes left in the game, Mohun Bagan Super Giant pulled off a jaw-dropping comeback in the last home game of 2024 against Kerala Blasters to win the match 3-2 and extend their unbeaten run to an impressive eight games. The Tuskers gave the Mariners a lot of nervy moments but all seemed to work well when Jamie Maclaren scored for the fourth time in his fifth match at the venue on the half-hour mark. However, things changed in the second half when an error from captain Subhasish Bose led to Jesus Jimenez equalising the score before Milos Drincic gave the visitors the lead. Head coach Jose Molina played his trump card again with late substitute Jason Cummings’s 86th minute seemed to have rescued a draw for the side but the home side wanted more. In almost the dying moments, the returning centre-back Alvaro Rodriguez unleashed a magnificent volley for a fifth straight home victory. That maintained their two-point lead at the top and enough motivation to keep their momentum intact in the last two games of the year. The Green and Maroons travel to Fatorda where they picked up a 1-0 win last time, a result which established a run that eventually helped them win the Shield for the first time.
Recent Form
GOA: WWWWD
MBG: DWWWW
GOA vs MBG Predicted Lineups
FC Goa
Hrithik Tiwari; Boris Thangjam, Odei Onaindia, Sandesh Jhingan, Aakash Sangwan; Sahil Tavora, Carl McHugh; Udanta Singh, Aman Chettri, Dejan Drazic; Armando Sadiku
Mohun Bagan
Vishal Kaith; Asish Rai, Alberto Rodriguez, Tom Aldred, Subhasish Bose; Apuia, Anirudh Thapa; Liston Colaco, Dimitri Petratos, Manvir Singh; Jamie Maclaren
GOA vs MBG Head-to-head (all competitions)
Played - 10
GOA won - 3
Drawn - 1
MBG won - 6
GOA vs MBG Head-to-head (ISL)
Played - 8
GOA won - 2
Drawn - 1
MBG won - 5
GOA vs MBG Dream11 Team Top picks
Captain Pick: Manvir Singh
Vice-captain Picks: Dimitri Petratos, Armando Sadiku, Jamie Maclaren
GOA vs MBG Dream11 Team Suggestion
GK: Kaith (Cr - 8, Pts - 77)
DEF: Sangwan (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 156), Rodriguez (Cr - 8, Pts - 108), Bose (Cr - 9, Pts - 208)
MID: Udanta (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 246), Petratos (Cr - 7.5), Singh (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 103), Colaco (Cr - 8.5)
FW: Drazic (Cr - 8, Pts - 183), Maclaren (Cr - 7), Sadiku (Cr - 9, Pts - 210)
Vice-captain: Dimitri Petratos
Captain: Manvir Singh
FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Match Prediction
FC Goa and Mohun Bagan Super Giant looks like a tight contest with both sides in top form. However, the visitors could have the edge in the battle with their bench strength. We predict a 2-1 win for the Mariners at Fatorda.
