The final game of the year sees Hyderabad FC take on FC Goa in Match 43 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Wednesday. The Gaurs secured a late victory over Jamshedpur FC in their last game and will look to exploit the weaknesses of a young Hyderabad FC side that lost to Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC in their previous two encounters.

Hyderabad will hope to break the deadlock early against FC Goa, given the Gaurs have conceded the first goal in six of their eight matches so far and have gone on to lose three of those. FC Goa have conceded only two goals out of nine from open play this season, so Hyderabad’s attackers know exactly how they can hit the back of the net. 

Manuel Marquez’s side created a number of chances against Kerala Blasters but failed to score. In fact, their shot accuracy this season has been just 24.75% which is the second lowest in the league. But the return of Fran Sandaza will be a boost for the side. The Spaniard came close to scoring against Kerala and will look to complement his compatriot Aridane Santana on Wednesday.

Of Hyderabad’s six goals, three have come from set-pieces, including two penalties. So, they will back themselves keeping in mind Goa’s propensity to concede goals from set-pieces. 77.78% of FC Goa’s conceded goals in Hero ISL 2020-21 have been from set-pieces and they have only one clean sheet in eight matches which will be a cause for concern for Juan Ferrando.

"It will be a difficult game because they are very good in transition and positional attack. There are a lot of details when you play against different teams but it's necessary to put forward a few details because they will have more ways to play. I prepare a plan but don't forget that Hyderabad's plan can also be different. Maybe tomorrow they play 4-4-2 with Sandaza and Aridane. In this case, it's necessary to control the last pass but we don't know the plan for Hyderabad," Goa head coach Ferrando said ahead of the game.

Hyderabad’s defence, which has allowed seven goals in their last three matches, will also need to be wary of the threat posed by Igor Angulo. The Spaniard is two clear of Nerijus Valskis in the Golden Boot standings with 8 goals after his brace against Jamshedpur FC. Angulo has scored 80% of Goa’s goals this season, and 14 of his 28 shots have been on target for the Gaurs. Also, FC Goa do have a chance of breaking into the top four and carrying their winning momentum into the new year with a win over a Hyderabad side whose world has turned upside down of late.

"This is normal in football. Sometimes you are in a good situation. We were unbeaten in the first five games and now two consecutive defeats. We have to make a comeback as soon as possible. We are working in this direction and let's see if we can get the victory against FC Goa tomorrow,” Hyderabad coach Marquez said ahead of the game.

Squads:

Hyderabad FC

Goalkeepers: Lalbiakhlua Jongte, Laxmikant Kattimani, Manas Dubey, Subrata Paul

Defenders: Akash Mishra, Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Dimple Bhagat, Kynsailang Khongsit, Nikhil Prabhu, Odei Onaindia, Sahil Panwar

Midfielders: Abhishek Halder, Adil Khan, Sahil Tavora, Halicharan Narzary, Hitesh Sharma, Joao Victor, Laldanmawia Ralte, Lluis Sastre, Mark Zothanpuia, Mohammed Yasir, Nikhil Poojary, Souvik Chakrabarti, Sweden Fernandes

Forwards: Aridane Santana, Fran Sandaza, Ishan Dey, Joel Chianese, Lalawmpuia, Liston Colaco, Rohit Danu

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 Murgaonkar, Igor Angulo, Ishan Pandita, Makan Chothe

Live Broadcast Schedule:

Hero ISL 2020-21 Match 43: Hyderabad FC vs FC Goa

Date: December 30 (Wednesday)

Time: 7:30 PM onwards

Channels: Star Sports Network

Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV