FC Goa take on FC Pune City in a thrilling encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa on November 22. The home side come into this match on the back of two consecutive away matches against Delhi and Mumbai, having taken four points on the road. Pune also had two consecutive away games prior to this, but managed only a point, against NorthEast United FC. The home side were impressive on the road and they will look to take that form into this game. Goa will no doubt be looking to avenge their 2-0 defeat in the sides’ previous encounter in Pune, and push for a knockout berth. Pune City head coach Franco Colomba will be hoping his men regain some lost form in what promises to be a difficult encounter against Zico’s attacking unit.Both teams have scored nine goals each in the tournament but the hosts find themselves second from the bottom while Pune are in contention for a spot in the top four. Goa can rise up the league table into the play-off spots with victory against the visitors. They are by far the most attacking team in the tournament in all statistical categories apart from the one that matters most – goals. They have far more shots (134-89) and shots on goal (80-44) than Pune City with a higher shot on goal percentage as well (60-49%), but their failure to convert chances into goals has cost them dearly. Zico will be looking to rectify this in his run of three consecutive home games. From a defensive point of view however, Pune City have been the superior side with more interceptions (282-269) and blocks (76-42) and it is this defensive stability that Colomba will look upon when facing Zico’s men.Form Guide (Most recent first):Goa: DWDLWPune City: LDDWWTolgay Özbey vs Bruno CirilloThe Australian is yet to rediscover his scoring form from his previous stint in India. A powerful striker, Özbey uses his strength to keep defenders off the ball. He has a sudden burst of pace which he uses effectively to manoeuvre past defenders. He showed this bit of skill in Goa’s first victory against Delhi Dynamos FC when he effectively evaded the onrushing Kristof Van Hout to tap past him. Italian defender, Bruno Cirillo will have the task of containing the forward. Cirillo has been a wall in the Pune defence this season. An experienced professional, he reads the game well, gets into good positions and tackles effectively.Youness Bengelloun vs Dudu Omagbemi The Goa defender has been in good form in the past couple of matches. Having scored a brilliant brace against Delhi Dynamos, Bengelloun very nearly got onto the score sheet against Mumbai City in his previous outing as well. A good and strong defender, Bengelloun, in partnership with Grégory Arnolin, has formed a formidable defensive pairing. He is a danger from set-pieces as well, and the away defence will have to mark him carefully. Dudu didn’t start the previous game for Pune but is expected to feature against against Goa. A strong centre forward, he uses his strength to win aerial battles and to burst past defenders. Goa will have to keep their focus to prevent Dudu from causing damage.Debabrata Roy vs Jermaine PennantThe diminutive right back has been a part of every game Goa have played in the tournament so far. He is blessed with pace, and does his attacking and defensive duties equally well. Roy’s work rate is his biggest asset and he uses this to his advantage on the football pitch. He will be up against former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant. Pennant brings the experience of having played in England in the Premier League, as well as in Spain’s La Liga. He has immediately become a key member of Franco Colomba's squad following his arrival, because of the quality he brings to the side. A wily footballer, Pennant has a penchant to cut in and take shots or deliver quality crosses. He will have to be kept in check, and Roy will be tasked with doing that.Players to watchAndré Santos – The charismatic Brazilian wasn’t his usual self in the team’s previous outing against Mumbai City, although his partnership with Robert Pirès was formidable in the midfield. Traditionally a left fullback, Zico has played the Brazilian in an attacking position because of his propensity to drift forward. His quality has been apparent in the tournament and he has a mean long shot. Santos will want to hit top form in this run of three home games to take his side into the knockout berths.Kostas Katsouranis – The Greek international has already scored once against Goa this season with a superb effort in Pune. He is the catalyst in midfield for the Pune team. He has excellent vision and can hit a long ball to a forward making a run. He can also shoot from distance which will make the home side’s defence wary of him. After a poor result in their last outing, Katsouranis will want to lead his team back to winning ways.Team SpeakFC Goa Zico (head coach): "We have to think step by step every day. We have five games to go but we are focusing hard on this game.”FC Pune CityFranco Colomba (head coach): "This is a difficult championship with so many games coming so quickly in a short period of time."
