Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa marched into the quarter-finals of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 with a dominant 3-0 win over Gokulam Kerala FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Spanish midfielder Iker Guarrotxena was the star of the show, netting a fine hat-trick to guide the Gaurs through to the next round.

The opening goal came in the 22nd minute, following an electric run by Dejan Drazic, who drove forward from the halfway line and was brought down inside the Gokulam box. Guarrotxena stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, smashing the ball down the middle to give his team the lead.

Thirteen minutes later, the Gaurs doubled their advantage. Aakash Sangwan surged forward on an overlapping run down the left flank, received the ball in space, and whipped in a pinpoint cross into the box. Guarrotxena timed his run to perfection and volleyed it home past the diving goalkeeper.

The Spaniard completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute. This time, it was Jay Gupta who played a sharp low cross to Udanta Singh on the right side of the box.

The winger unselfishly squared it to Guarrotxena , who made no mistake in slotting it in from close range. With this, Guarrotxena now has 23 goals in 45 appearances for FC Goa, making him the third-highest goalscorer in the club’s history.

At the other end, goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari and the defence led by skipper Odei Onaindia and Sandesh Jhingan remained alert. Tiwari made a couple of key saves in the dying minutes to preserve his eighth clean sheet of the season.

The win sees FC Goa through to the quarter-finals of the Kalinga Super Cup.

The Shers secure a clinical win over the Kalinga Warriors

Punjab FC delivered a clinical performance to cruise past Odisha FC 3-0 and book their place in the quarterfinals of the Kalinga Super Cup Round of 16 match at the Kalinga Stadium. Goals from Asmir Suljic, Ezequiel Vidal, and Nihal Sudeesh ensured the Shers get the better of the hosts. They will face FC Goa in the quarterfinals on 26th, who got the better of I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC in a similar score line.

Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis opted for an aggressive 4-2-4 formation, trusting his all-Indian defence line of Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Suresh Meitei, Paramveer, and Abhishek Singh. With Muheet Shabbir in goal and Ricky Shabong and Nikhil Prabhu anchoring the midfield, the attacking line was led by Muhammad Suhail, Asmir Suljic, Ezequiel Vidal, and Petros Giakoumakis. On the other side, Odisha FC—last season’s runners-up—lined up in a 3-4-3 under Sergio Lobera, with Amrinder Singh in goal and a solid backline featuring Mourtada Fall and Carlos Delgado; their frontline included the likes of Hugo Boumous, Isak Vanlalruatfela, and Dorielton Silva.

Odisha FC dominated possession early on, but it was Punjab FC who fired the first warning shot, Suljic testing Amrinder in the 5th minute. The Shers, pressing high and showing intent, took the lead in the 14th minute. A sharp through ball from Vidal found Suljic, who cleverly dinked it over the onrushing keeper to make it 1-0. The Shers’ high press and compact shape kept Odisha FC frustrated, and they nearly doubled their lead on multiple occasions. Suhail came close after a deflected effort in the 33rd minute, while Ricky Shabong saw his shot saved after a flowing move involving Suljic.

Odisha FC’s best chance came in the 36th minute when Dorielton found himself one-on-one with the Shers’ Muheet but missed the target. A minute later, Boumous tested Muheet again, only to be denied by a brilliant reflex save. Just before halftime, Suljic and Shabong combined beautifully, but the final shot lacked sting. The Shers went into the break with a deserved 1-0 lead.

Punjab FC faced an early change in the second half with Ashish Pradhan replacing Nikhil Prabhu. But the change did not slow down their momentum. The Shers continued to threaten Odisha’s high line with swift transitions and clever link-ups between Vidal and Suljic. In the 56th minute, Vidal nearly scored with a two-shot attempt, his second going just wide. Odisha, meanwhile, struggled with their finishing despite some promising build-up play. The Shers defense stood tall, with goalkeeper Muheet once again stepping up when required.

In the 69th minute, Vidal turned on the flair, skipping past his marker and unleashing a sublime left-footed shot from outside the box that nestled into the far corner to double Punjab FC’s lead. From there, the Shers stuck to their game plan, absorbing pressure, staying compact, and waiting for their moment. With the match heading into the final stretch, Odisha FC pushed hard but were repeatedly shut down by the Sher’s all Indian backline.

In the 90th minute, the Shers sealed the match in style. Substitute Manglenthang Kipgen played a perfectly timed ball from half-line to Nihal Sudeesh, who calmly beat the keeper and slotted in Punjab FC’s third of the night. The Shers kept pushing even in stoppage time, trying to find their fourth. At the final whistle, it was a complete performance from Dilmperis’ men to sail into the quarter finals.

Related tags:

Odisha FCFC Goa2024-2025Punjab FC Match Report