FC Goa have been one of the heavyweights in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) since its inception. In the past four years, the Gaurs have qualified thrice for the playoffs, while reaching the final once only to bow out to Chennaiyin FC in the summit tie.

However, it was the recently concluded 2017-18 season that proved to be the most prolific for the Goan brigade. They took the league by storm with their attacking prowess, ripping defences apart at will, to score a record breaking 43 goals in 20 games. This can be attributed to their Spanish flavour as the squad displayed ruthless offensive performance under the guidance of head coach Sergio Lobera.

The defence though failed to live up to the billing as they could keep just two clean sheets, conceding 28 goals in the process. That was one of the reasons why the Gaurs failed to get past the eventual champions Chennaiyin in the semifinal.

But that, under no circumstances, can take any shine off a remarkable season that the Goans enjoyed. Averaging 2.15 goals per game with 137 shots on target this season, the attack, led by the lethal Spanish combination of Ferran Corominas and Manuel Lanzarote, stood tall and rescued the team from dire situations. The Spaniards would slot in 31 goals amongst themselves.

After their semifinal display, if opponents thought that Goan threat had reduced, they were mighty wrong as Sergio Lobera's men once again showed their true colours in the inaugural Hero Super Cup. Facing two-time Hero ISL champions ATK in the pre-quarterfinal stage, their attack was once again at the centre of everything. They would score three past a hapless ATK outfit to cruise into the quarterfinals.

Corominas would open the scoring for the Gaurs with Edu Bedia finding his team-mate with a defence-splitting pass for him to calmly slot past the goalkeeper. Though Robbie Keane would draw ATK level, the Spaniard was in no mood to let go as he would assist two more for Hugo Boumous and Brandon Fernandes that night.

The win apart, the ATK game could also be seen as a perfect warm-up for the Goans as they prepare to take on another ISL outfit, Jamshedpur FC, in their quarterfinal in the coming days. And if their performance in the Hero Super Cup so far is anything to go by, one can surely hope for a scintillating show from the Goans.