FC Goa has climbed to the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) ladder but whether it manages to stay there remains to be seen as it takes on Bengaluru FC in an engrossing ‘top of the table’ clash at the Sree Kanteerava stadium here on Thursday.
Bengaluru FC will look to get back to winning ways
Bangalore:
The Gaurs are high on confidence after a six-game unbeaten run in which it hasn’t conceded a goal in the last five. Given the troubles Goa has had with its defensive organisation earlier in the season, this augurs well for Lobera.
In fact, Goa has the best attacking record so far this season (35 goals scored) and the joint-best defensive record (17 goals allowed). The likes of Mourtada Fall and Carlos Pena have been key in Goa’s defensive improvement.
“It is good that we have improved defensively. It was one of the goals before the season started and I am happy about that. I think every time you improve defensively, you look at defenders or goalkeeper. But I think we have improved defensively as a whole. Therefore, I am happy with the way we are working defensively and also in a collective way,” said Lobera.
Goa has the aura of a well-oiled outfit that is firing collectively. It will fancy its chances against Bengaluru FC which is not in the best of form. Bengaluru, secured just one win from its last five matches and qualified for the play-offs largely to its brilliant run of form in the initial part of the season. It has now lost momentum and the top spot in the league.
Coach Carles Cuadrat has largely opted to rest his key players and rotate the squad ahead of the play-offs and that has seen the team struggle to find rhythm post the winter break. With a free-flowing Goa coming to town, Cuadrat’s priority will be to get back to winning ways and start gathering momentum with the play-offs very close. Bengaluru will also hope that Miku finds his scoring boots soon, given that the Venezuelan is yet to score after coming back from injury.
“Miku is having a sort of pre-season. He is trying to be fit again and you can see that his numbers and performance aren’t at the level that it was before the injury. But we have time,” added Cuadrat.
Goa has a chance to go three points clear of Bengaluru at the top, if it manages a win on Thursday. But more than that, the driving factor for Sergio Lobera and team will be a desire to ensure its momentum does not stall with just two rounds to go before the play-offs.
The Gaurs are high on confidence after a six-game unbeaten run in which it hasn’t conceded a goal in the last five. Given the troubles Goa has had with its defensive organisation earlier in the season, this augurs well for Lobera.
In fact, Goa has the best attacking record so far this season (35 goals scored) and the joint-best defensive record (17 goals allowed). The likes of Mourtada Fall and Carlos Pena have been key in Goa’s defensive improvement.
“It is good that we have improved defensively. It was one of the goals before the season started and I am happy about that. I think every time you improve defensively, you look at defenders or goalkeeper. But I think we have improved defensively as a whole. Therefore, I am happy with the way we are working defensively and also in a collective way,” said Lobera.
Goa has the aura of a well-oiled outfit that is firing collectively. It will fancy its chances against Bengaluru FC which is not in the best of form. Bengaluru, secured just one win from its last five matches and qualified for the play-offs largely to its brilliant run of form in the initial part of the season. It has now lost momentum and the top spot in the league.
Coach Carles Cuadrat has largely opted to rest his key players and rotate the squad ahead of the play-offs and that has seen the team struggle to find rhythm post the winter break. With a free-flowing Goa coming to town, Cuadrat’s priority will be to get back to winning ways and start gathering momentum with the play-offs very close. Bengaluru will also hope that Miku finds his scoring boots soon, given that the Venezuelan is yet to score after coming back from injury.
“Miku is having a sort of pre-season. He is trying to be fit again and you can see that his numbers and performance aren’t at the level that it was before the injury. But we have time,” added Cuadrat.