An injury-plagued and off-colour Atlético de Kolkata will try to make full use of the home advantage offered by their raucous support when they take on in-form FC Goa in their first leg of their semifinal on Sunday. The two sides met earlier at the same venue on Wednesday in a last round Hero Indian Super League match that ended 1-1 after the hosts scrambled a late equaliser that helped them make the cut.A few key players of the home team have been nursing injuries, though the silver lining is that Cavin Lobo may return. On the other hand, the visitors will miss defender Bruno Pinheiro, who is suspended for the first leg. The Portuguese player was red-carded for tripping striker Fikru Teferra, who scored from the resultant penalty.Goa are the superior side from an attacking perspective, having netted 21 times in the competition in comparison to Kolkata’s 16. Goa also have more shots (199-144) and shots on goal (121-76) than their hosts. The confident visitors will probably go for the jugular against Antonio López Habas’ side who have won just once in the last 10 matches after a good start to the campaign. Resurgent Goa turned their season around in the second half of the tournament and have remained unbeaten since. From a defensive point of view, both teams have managed five clean sheets each. Kolkata have made one more interception than Goa (362) and more blocks (96-64) but trail Zico’s men in the tackles category (302-339). The hosts will hope the big occasion inspires them to get their act together so that they can travel to Goa with an advantage.Form Guide (most recent matches first)Atlético de Kolkata: DLDDLFC Goa: DWWWWDFikru Teferra vs Grégory ArnolinFikru netted the equalising penalty against Goa a few days ago and will want to score again to give his side the advantage. His physicality is a vital aspect of his game and he showed this when he burst past Youness Bengelloun and Pinheiro before appearing to trip on his heel. Arnolin was rested for Goas final league game but will be expected to be back in the line-up. The Frenchman is also a very physical defender and will use his strength to keep the Ethiopian international at bay.Borja Fernández vs André SantosThe Spanish midfielder has netted once with a thunderous volley from distance which will definitely be a contender for goal of the tournament. Playing a more defensive role for the team, he has been in decent form so far. Capable of putting in tough tackles and breaking up play, Borja will be up against Goa’s tricky Brazilian midfielder, André Santos. The ex-Gunner has been tremendous for his side, having scored four times already. He’s Goa’s creator in chief as well and his set pieces have caused teams issues. It will be a treat to watch the battle between Borja’s defensive guile and Santos’ attacking flair.Biswajit Saha vs Romeo Fernandes Saha has been a regular feature for the Bengal side in the tournament so far. The left back, who is nursing an injury, does his defensive and attacking duties equally well and will hope to clip the wings of Romeo Fernandes who has been one of the star performers for Zico’s side, chipping in with important goals and assists. His pace and trickery make him a difficult player to mark and Saha will have his hands full as long as the diminutive Goan is on the pitch.Players to watchAtlético de KolkataLuis García – The former Liverpool playmaker was resting on the bench in the previous match but was introduced at half-time when his side needed a goal to stay in the competition. His value to Kolkata is immense. The marquee player reads the game extremely well and has the ability to find a runner with precise through balls and passes. He also has a very good left foot and the Goa defence will have to be wary when facing the little Spaniard.FC GoaZohib Amiri – The Afghan international has nailed down a regular starting berth in Zico’s team with a string of creditable performances. His work rate is very impressive and he covers a lot of ground during a match. He links the defence and attack very well and is a threat from set pieces. Amiri also has good dribbling ability, and in partnership with Santos in the middle of the pitch, will seek to establish Goa’s stranglehold on the proceedings.Team speakAtlético de KolkataAntonio Lopéz Habas (head coach): “I think there can’t be any favourites in the semifinals of a tournament with such high competition. We are expecting an even game tomorrow.”FC GoaZico (head coach): “We prepare to play football. Our only focus is on our team and the opponent.”
