Match 62 of the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) will see ATK Mohun Bagan take on a buoyant FC Goa side at the Fatorda Stadium in Sunday’s second game. The Gaurs beat Jamshedpur FC in their previous encounter making it three wins in their last four games, while the Mariners narrowly lost to Mumbai City FC in their last match.

Juan Ferrando got his tactics right during his side’s commanding 3-0 win over Jamshedpur FC. Resting Igor Angulo and playing Jorge Ortiz Mendoza up front proved to be a masterstroke as the Spaniard went on to score twice to help his side to the victory.

“Every game is crucial. The problem is that the season is short and every game is very important. In the end, you know that the ATK Mohun Bagan squad is very competitive and it's the same with us. I hope that it will be a very good game. Both teams want to win the three points and I think the result will be a beautiful game for sure,” Ferrando said ahead of their encounter.

After a slow start to their campaign with just two wins in their opening five games, the Gaurs have settled nicely of late. Their attack has scored 13 of their 16 goals from open play this season and this is key against a side who conceded their first goal from open play in their loss to the Islanders.

While FC Goa’s attack has proven their worth this season, the onus will lie on the Gaurs’ midfielders to break down a solid defensive unit that have conceded just four goals this season.

Antonio Lopez Habas’ defence have been brilliant this season. Arindam Bhattacharja has kept seven clean sheets and the shot-stopper has been ably supported by Tiri and Sandesh Jhingan. However, one couldn’t say the same about their attack.

Their weakness in attack was highlighted during their 1-0 loss against Mumbai City. The team failed to get a shot on target in the first half and Sergio Lobera’s game of possession got the better of their counter-attacking tactics. As a matter of fact, ATK Mohun Bagan have scored just once from open play in their last five matches. And in their last three matches, the Mariners only have four shots on target.

The Mariners handed FC Goa a 1-0 defeat after a hard-fought match earlier in the season. However, it won’t be easy this time with the Gaurs being on a four-game unbeaten run, showing tremendous form of late. Since both the teams are in the top-four, the match is important from a ‘League Shield’ point of view.  

"We know that Goa has good players and a good team but so do we. The previous match is the past. Now it's a different match because in football, two matches are never the same. Goa is a compact team with technically good players. I don't want to mark one player in a more special way. They will be absolutely a very difficult opponent but we also have our proposal," Habas said ahead of the game.

Squads:

FC Goa

Goalkeepers: Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Shubham Dhas, Antonio D’Silva

Defenders: Sarineo Fernandes, Aiban Dohling, Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Leander D’Cunha, Mohamed Ali, Sanson Pereira, Saviour Gama, Seriton Fernandes

Midfielders: Alberto Noguera, Alexander Jesuraj, Brandon Fernandes, Edu Bedia, Flan Gomes, Jorge Mendoza, Lenny Rodrigues, Nestor Dias, Phrangki Buam, Princeton Rebello, Redeem Tlang, Seiminlen Doungel

Forwards: Aaren D’Silva, Devendra Murgaokar, Igor Angulo, Ishan Pandita, Makan Chothe

ATK Mohun Bagan

Goalkeepers: Arindam Bhattacharja, Avilash Paul, Arsh Shaikh,

Defenders: Tiri, Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose, Sumit Rathi, Salam Ranjan Singh

Midfielders: Pronay Halder, Bradden Inman, Javier Hernandez, Edu Garcia, Carl McHugh, Glan Martins, Jayesh Rane, Boris Singh, Regin Michael, Sahil Sheikh, N Engson Singh, Nongdamba Naorem

Forwards: David Williams, Roy Krishna, Manvir Singh, Md. Fardin Ali Molla, Komal Thatal

Live Broadcast Schedule:

Hero ISL 2020-21 Match 62: FC Goa vs ATK Mohun Bagan

Date: January 17 (Sunday)

Time: 7:30 PM onwards

Channels: Star Sports Network

Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV