FC Goa will want to make the most of the opportunity to seal a second-place finish when they face off against Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Thursday. Currently on 31 points from 17 matches, a win in the fixture will ensure that Goa finish the league stage only behind Bengaluru FC regardless of what Mumbai City FC manage in their next match against FC Pune City.

At the pre-match presser, Goa head coach Sergio Lobera addressed the media. The Spaniard began by stressing the importance of maintaining the momentum despite already having qualified for the semi-finals. "We are approaching the match in the same way that we are going to play the second leg of the semi-finals at home. This will be a key factor. The only thing in our mind will be to get the victory to seal the second place," he stated.

Lobera also shared his thoughts on Goa’s defeat to a 10-man Bengaluru side last week. "The first-half was very tight with chances for both teams. But in the second-half when they went a man down, that made us overconfident. I think except in the last 45 minutes against Bengaluru, the level of the team has been very high. Except for those 45 minutes, I am very happy with the performance of the team," Lobera said.

This season, Goa have gradually improved in certain departments, most notably in defence. The Gaurs have kept a joint-league-high seven clean sheets this season, five of which have come in the last six matches. Laying out his team’s objectives, Lobera said, "For me, the most important thing is how to get the results. At the beginning of the season, my goal was to improve the team defensively. We are now the best team in keeping clean sheets. We are the best team when you look at goal difference. So, some of the goals which I had set at the beginning of the season have been achieved. Right now, we are in the semi-finals and we will try to win them and reach the finals."

Despite being one of the best teams in the Hero ISL over the last five years, the Gaurs have traditionally found it difficult to come back in matches if they concede first. Lobera, however, opined that this batch has what it takes to overcome the issue. "Whenever we are at home; the away teams respect us a lot. So that first goal means a lot. So, we have to learn to overcome the situation. I think this season we have found the right balance between defence and attack," he said.

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