Preview: Jamshedpur FC host in-form FC Goa in their final match of the season
The Men of Steel look to end their season on a winning note when they welcome the Gaurs at the Furnace.
FC Goa travel to take on Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on April 9, Tuesday, at 5:00 PM IST in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 tomorrow.
The Men of Steel have already crashed out of the race to qualify for the playoffs. Whereas, the Gaurs are out of the League Shield race, after Mumbai City FC's victory over Odisha FC on Monday. Currently placed fourth with 39 points from 20 games, the Gaurs will now aim to win their remaining matches to finish second in the points table and secure direct qualification for the semi-finals.
After a minor setback since the season restarted in late January, FC Goa have recovered slightly by winning thrice and drawing twice in their last five games. Contrastingly, Jamshedpur FC had begun the second half of the season strongly, but dropping 11 points out of a possible 15 from their previous five encounters has made them bow out of the hotly contested race for sixth place.
What’s at stake?
Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur FC have been winless in their last three matches against FC Goa, facing a 1-0 loss in their latest encounter. Could this game turn things around for them, given that the Men of Steel have never gone four straight games without winning against the Gaurs in the ISL? Things haven’t unfolded in a manner that they would have liked at home this season though.
Currently, Jamshedpur FC are on a run of eight games where they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their own backyard. The last time they didn’t concede a goal on their home turf was against Punjab FC in October 2023. It is a team whose offensive endeavours depend massively on outplaying the opposition on the flanks and delivering accurate crosses into the box. For instance, Jamshedpur FC have made 15.1 crosses from the open play in the current campaign, second only to the top-placed FC Goa (19.3) in this regard.
FC Goa
As Jamshedpur FC is struggling to keep a clean sheet at home, FC Goa are encountering no problems in finding the back of the net on the road. The Gaurs have notched a strike in each of their last eight away matches. The only time they have gone on a longer run than this was a sequence of 11 matches from January 2016-2018.
FC Goa need to be wary of wrapping up games neatly though, given that they have conceded 33% of their goals in the final 15 minutes of their matches this season. On the contrary, Jamshedpur FC have notched 35% of goals in this period, which is the second highest such share for any team, behind only Hyderabad FC, i.e. 56%.
Key Players to Watch Out
Rei Tachikawa (Jamshedpur FC)
Rei Tachikawa has been a flamboyant figure in the Jamshedpur FC frontline this year. He has scored four goals and has been lethal in pockets of spaces near the final third and from set-pieces as well. He has averaged 26 passes per game at 80% accuracy, making 25 key passes and creating as many goal-scoring chances. He has made 11 successful dribbles, hit 12 shots on target, made 78 recoveries, and won 88 duels. Tachikawa has also won five interceptions, made eight clearances and won 15 aerial duels, delivering outcomes on both ends of the pitch consistently.
Mohammad Yasir (FC Goa)
The attacking midfielder has been a revelation since moving to FC Goa in January. Across this season, Mohammad Yasir has struck three goals and notched four assists. He has averaged 25 passes per game at 74% accuracy, making 16 successful dribbles, 17 key passes, and creating 21 goal-scoring chances. He has won two aerial duels, made three clearances, and six interceptions as well. Yasir has won 57 duels and made 65 recoveries. Yasir was instrumental in setting up goals for Noah Sadaoui in the hat-trick by the Moroccan attacker against Hyderabad FC, and one can expect him to be a lively presence in the final third again tomorrow.
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Head-to-Head
Played – 13
FC Goa – 7
Jamshedpur FC – 4
Draws – 2
Trivia: Brandon Fernandes (FC Goa) is averaging 3.1 chances created per game in the current ISL season, the highest such aggregate by any player in the competition this term.
Team Talk
“I am not happy. I think we deserve to be in the top six. I am not blaming everyone. Players were very committed and they were very happy, both foreigners, Indians, and the management have worked very hard, but I think we deserved to be in the top six, and we must think higher because we have such a good fan base,” Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil said ahead of the game.
“Jamshedpur FC are out of the playoffs, but when their coach arrived, everyone believed that they were out. The team reacted very well, they even beat Mumbai City FC after being 2-0 down. The way they play, it’s very difficult to play against them,” FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez said in the pre-match press conference.
ISL Fantasy
Noah Sadaoui (8.7cr)
Has notched 16 ISL fantasy points already this season
Jay Gupta (3.5cr)
Has accumulated 86 ISL fantasy points in 2023-24
Jeremy Manzorro (4.2cr)
Has been selected by 12% of the ISL fantasy users in their teams
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.
