FC Goa will host Mumbai City FC in the first leg of their semi-final fixture of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 on April 24, Wednesday, at 7:30 pm IST.

The Gaurs qualified for the last-four by defeating Chennaiyin FC by 2-1 in their playoffs clash, causing the two west coast rivals to lock horns with each other across 180 minutes for a place in the grand finale of the 10th season of the ISL. Contrastingly, the Islanders were at the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat against the Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the title-winning clash at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on April 15. They still finished the league stages at the second spot, ensuring that they made it straight to the semi-finals and didn’t have to contest the playoffs for the same.

Recent Form:

• FC Goa endured a bit of a lean period after the season restarted. They faced three losses in the first five matches of the second half of the campaign. However, four victories in five encounters before the playoffs meant that they cruised to finish the league in the third place. Even in the knockouts, they were assertive from the offset, securing a two-goal lead thanks to goals by Noah Sadaoui and Brandon Fernandes before Lazar Cirkovic pulled a goal back for Marina Machans.

• On the other hand, Mumbai City FC won eight of the nine games they played after Jamshedpur FC won 3-2 against them in the City of Dreams in February. It all, however, went down the wire and the Mariners managed to edge past them in a hotly contested fixture in the home game of the latter. Will the Islanders overcome that to pack a punch in this game, or will the failure to defend the championship take a toll on their players? Only time will tell.

 Overall Form:

• FC Goa ended up securing 45 points in the 22 matches that they played in the league, only three behind the Champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and two fewer than runners-up Mumbai City FC. They hit the back of the net 39 times, Noah and Carlos Martinez contributing with 11 and 10 strikes each.

• The Gaurs were at the top of their game defensively, leaking only 21 strikes. Though they fell down the ladder due to the upsurge by the Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC in the last couple of months, FC Goa ensured that they were still the third best team in the league at the end of 22 matches.

• Similarly, Mumbai City FC were at the top of the game both defensively and offensively. They faced the fewest shots (231) and the least amongst them (64) on target, and kept the third-most clean sheets (8) in the tournament this term. The Islanders gave away only 19 goals in the league, in addition to netting 42 times with a shot conversion rate of 13.42%. They also created the most goal-scoring opportunities (216), and will hope to bring their A-game to the table at the Fatorda.

What’s at stake?

FC Goa

• FC Goa are winless in their last 10 meetings against Mumbai City FC, losing and drawing five times each. Against no other team have the Gaurs recorded a longer winless streak in ISL history. However, they are unbeaten in their last four playoffs matches, winning and drawing twice in the time being.

• A victory in this match will make it the first time that they register consecutive victories in this stage of the competition though. Collectively, they manage to build consistent pressure on the opposition, registering 28 touches inside the box per game in the current campaign, in fact, their 645 such touches from 23 games this season is also the highest such total by any side in a single season in competition history.

Mumbai City FC

• Mumbai City FC had a five-match-long winning streak away from home come to an end with their recent 2-1 loss against the Mariners. The Islanders have netted 12 times in their last five games on the road. However, they have been unable to score in five away matches against the Gaurs, which is the most against any side in the ISL.

• FC Goa have some impressive set-piece exponents at their disposal. However, the Islanders have never conceded from a corner this season, and given away only two goals from set-pieces. They will bank on Noah Sadaoui to come out triumphant up top in this match, with the attacker attempting 4.6 shots per game this season, which is the highest such aggregate by any player in a single season of the ISL.

Key Players to Watch Out

Noah Sadaoui (FC Goa)

Noah Sadaoui has scored 11 goals and bagged five assists in 21 appearances this season. He has averaged 24 passes per game at 77% accuracy, making 31 key passes, completing 34 successful dribbles, and creating 36 goal-scoring opportunities. He has taken 50% of his total shots on target and made 80 recoveries in addition to winning 106 duels. Having scored in the last game, he has momentum favouring him in this clash.

Lallianzuala Chhangte (Mumbai City FC)

Lallianzuala Chhangte has netted seven times and assisted six goals in ISL 2023-24. With 99 touches in the opposition’s box, he has averaged 23 passes per game at 84% accuracy. He has made 29 key passes, 30 successful dribbles, and created 35 goal-scoring chances. With a goal conversion rate of 19.44%, he has won 73 duels and made 77 recoveries. Chhangte pulled a late goal back for the Islanders against the Mariners, and will want to be lethal in the semi-finals.

Head-to-Head

Played – 24

Mumbai City FC – 10

FC Goa – 7

Draws – 7

Trivia: Lallianzuala Chhangte (29 goal contributions) is one away from becoming the second player to register 30 goal contributions for Mumbai City FC in the ISL after Bipin Singh (34).

Team Talk

“If you miss a good chance, it’s okay, keep going. If you score a goal, you need to keep going, in a playoffs scenario. Usually, the team that’s mentally stronger qualifies for the final,” FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez mentioned.

“It’s a semi-final and the completion is slightly different from the league stages. We have two games and we have to be really ready from the start. I am happy because boys are positive to bounce back,” Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky said in the pre-match press conference.

ISL Fantasy

Noah Sadaoui (9.1cr)

Has been picked by 44% of the ISL fantasy users in their teams

Jay Gupta (3.5cr)

Has accumulated 93 ISL fantasy points so far

Lallianzuala Chhangte (8.2cr)

Has garnered 80 ISL fantasy points in 2023-24

If not registered already, fans can participate in the overall league or club-based leagues based on their preferences. Create private leagues, inviting friends and fellow football aficionados to compete. Prizes include a Sony PlayStation ®️ ️5 gaming console, EA Sports FC 24, signed club merchandise, and a Gift Card worth INR 20,000, which will be awarded to 100 winners at the end of the season. Sign up at: https://fantasy.indiansuperleague.com/

Where to Watch

Fans across the country can catch the action in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam. Fans can watch the action on linear channels like Sports18 Khel (Hindi), Sports18 1 HD (English), Sports18 3 SD (English, Hindi, Malayalam and Bengali), VH1 SD & HD (English), Surya Movies (Malayalam), News 18 Kerala (Malayalam – select matches) & DD Bangla (Bengali). Fans can also catch the action streaming Live for free on JioCinema, the home of Indian football. In addition to this, as part of FSDL’s partnership with OneFootball, ISL live streams and highlights of all matches of the upcoming 2023-24 season will be delivered across more than 190 countries.