FC Goa take on Kerala Blasters FC on Matchday 18 of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2015 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Thursday. The hosts are coming on the back of a convincing 3-1 away victory, while Kerala Blasters FC will be trying to jump-start their campaign after back-to-back defeats at the hands of Atlético de Kolkata and Delhi Dynamos FC. Head coach Peter Taylor will demand a much-improved display from his team which has found the back of the net just once in their last three matches.Gregory Arnolin vs Manandeep SinghA consistent performer at the heart of Goa’s defence, Gregory Arnolin’s dominating style of play will be key to his side’s fortunes. The powerful defender has featured in every minute of Goa’s campaign so far and has been a rock at the back for the Gaurs. His passing accuracy of 87% also brings his ball retention skills to light.Manandeep Singh offers plenty of energy to Kerala’s attacking line. The youngster has made two appearances so far but is likely to feature more frequently in Kerala’s upcoming matches with head coach Taylor hinting at squad rotation. Manandeep is more than capable of getting on the scoresheet and offers the Kerala frontline some much-needed penetration.Jonatan Lucca vs Bruno PeroneJonatan Lucca’s beautifully taken goal laid down the platform for Goa’s comprehensive win against NorthEast United FC during their last encounter. The Brazilian playmaker had a major influence on Goa’s play in Guwahati. Lucca has made 10 tackles for the Gaurs this season and is increasingly becoming a key player in the FC Goa quest for Hero ISL 2015 trophy.Bruno Perone has featured in all games for Kerala Blasters FC so far and has been very impressive. Despite being a defender, the 28-year-old Brazilian has also had a couple of shots on goal. He is key for the visitors in ensuring FC Goa’s attackers don’t get enough space to execute their shots.Reinaldo vs Peter RamageDespite being 36, Reinaldo has not lost much of his shooting qualities and on his day he is going to be more than a handful. He has already scored twice and his calm demeanour is quite an asset. Kerala Blasters FC have a big task on their hands on Thursday and will have to find a way to deal with the deadly Brazilian.Peter Ramage has responded to the captaincy handed down to him by Taylor. The Englishman has not put a wrong foot so far and has competed in all 360 minutes for his side this season. Handy on the ball, Ramage has accounted for an assist this season and is also good in possession boasting a passing accuracy of 91%. The former Newcastle United defender tops the leaderboard for clearances with a jaw-dropping 48 clearances after just four games.Both sides will be pinning their hopes on their midfield engine-rooms. The outcome of the game will depend on who dominates the ball in the centre of the park. Goa seemed to have found the perfect balance in midfield during their last encounter against NorthEast United FC where they controlled the game at a strolling pace. The likes of Leo Moura, Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Dessai will be hoping for more of the same for the Gaurs on Thursday. Kerala Blasters FC, meanwhile, will go out all guns blazing in search of a positive result. The Blasters have the firepower with individuals like Victor Pulga, marquee player Carlos Marchena, Cavin Lobo and Sanchez Watt in the fold. Taylor will want his players to stand up and be counted as the yellow army look for their first win in four matches.Quotes:We have to pay attention because our last result at home was not the best one. We have seen that the teams are playing very well away games. We are aware about that, that they are giving everything. So we have to be very careful and play our best in order to beat Kerala: Goa coach ZicoThe best thing about this competition is that you don’t get time to dwell on anything. The next game comes around quickly, you have to forget about what happened the last time and this is an opportunity for us to get back to winning: Kerala assistant coach Trevor MorganSquads:FC Goa: Elinton Sanchotene Andrade, Luis Barreto, Laxmikant Kattimani, Lucimar Da Silva Ferreira [Lucio] [marquee], Gregory Arnolin, Luciano Sobrosa, Keenan Almeida, Nicolau Colaco, Raju Gaekwad, Debabrata Roy, Narayan Das, Joffre Mateu Gonzalez, Leonardo da Silva Moura [Leo Moura], Jonatan Lucca, Denson Devdas, Pronay Halder, Bikramjit Singh, Mandar Rao Dessai, Romeo Fernandes, Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira, Victor Simoes de Oliveira, Darryl Duffy, Thongkoisep Haokip, Victorino Fernandes, Joaquim Abranches, CS SabeethKerala Blasters FC: Stephen Bywater, Rahul Shankar Bheke, Ramandeep Singh, Peter Ramage, Carlos Marchena (Marquee Player), Cavin Lobo, Joao Coimbra, Chris Dagnall, Mohd Rafi, Ishfaq Ahmed, Shankar S, CK Vineeth, Mehtab Hossain, Sandesh Jhingan, Gurwinder Singh, Manandeep Singh, Sanchez Watt, Antonio German, Bruno Perone, Sandip Nandy, Saumik Dey, Marcus Williams, Peter Carvalho, Victor Herrero Forcada, Josu Currias, Shilton Paul
