Goa vs ATK Mohun Bagan: Preview and Prediction

The last match of matchday 7 of the 2022-23 Indian Super League season will see Goa taking on ATK Mohun Bagan at Goa’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.

Both sides will be fairly content with the way they have started their campaign. Goa won three of their first five matches. With nine points in their account, the Gaurs are currently placed fifth in the points table.

ATK Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, has a fairly similar record. They have also won three of their first five matches, but courtesy of a draw, they have accumulated 10 points. The Mariners are sitting just ahead of Goa.

Current Form

Goa had a good start to their campaign, as they secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over East Bengal in their opening encounter. The performance in the second match was even better, as Carlos Pena’s team handed Chennaiyin a 2-0 defeat.

However, their winning run came to a halt in the third game, where they lost 0-1 against defending champions Hyderabad. The Gaurs made a stunning comeback by beating Jamshedpur 3-0 in their last match, but all of their good work went in vain when they lost 1-3 against Kerala Blasters in the last match.

ATK Mohun Bagan’s start was not as convincing, as they lost 1-2 against Chennaiyin in their first fixture. However, Juan Ferrando’s men have not lost a single game since then. The Mariners won their next two fixtures – beating Kerala Blasters 5-2 and East Bengal 2-0.

While they could not beat Mumbai City in their fourth fixture, Ferrando’s side did well to overturn a deficit and salvage a 2-2 draw. In their previous clash, the Kolkata-based emerged 2-1 winners against NorthEast United.

Head to Head Record

The head-to-head records are completely in favour of ATK Mohun Bagan. Of the four previous meetings between these two teams, the Mariners have won thrice. The other game ended in a draw – meaning Goa have never emerged victorious.

The last meeting produced a 2-0 win in favour of Ferrando’s side, back in February. Both goals were scored by attacker Manvir Singh in the initial phases of both halves.

Team News

Following a defeat against Kerala Blasters, it is almost certain that Pena will make changes to his starting XI. After coming on as a substitute for the injured Saviour Gama, Sanson Pereira had a difficult time against the Tuskers. In his place, Leander D’Cunha could be handed a start.

Besides that, there could be another defensive change as Anwar Ali also had a poor outing. He could make way for Marc Valiente, but to do so, Pena will need to free up an overseas slot. Noah Sadaoui is expected to return to lead the attack in Alvaro Vazquez’s place, with Redeem Tlang operating on the right flank.

Ferrando, on the contrary, is unlikely to make any changes to his team, though the Mariners had a hard time in their win over NorthEast United. 

Among those who looked a tad shaky against the Highlanders are Deepak Tangri and Manvir Singh. There are alternate options available for the Spanish tactician. Lalrinliana Hnamte could slot in midfield, while Kiyan Nassiri could be placed on the wings. However, given their relative experience, neither is likely to make it to the starting XI.

Predicted XIs

Goa (4-2-3-1): Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem; Seriton Fernandes, Aibanbha Dohling, Marc Valiente, Leander D’Cunha; Ayush Dev Chhetri, Edu Bedia; Redeem Tlang, Iker Guarrotxena, Brandon Fernandes; Noah Sadaoui.

ATK Mohun Bagan (4-3-3): Vishal Kaith; Asish Rai, Pritam Kotal, Brendan Hamill, Subhasish Bose; Deepak Tangri, Hugo Boumous, Joni Kauko; Manvir Singh, Dimitri Petratos, Liston Colaco.

Prediction

While there is not much to separate the two teams based on their performances in the ongoing league season, ATK Mohun Bagan has the upper hand when it comes to head-to-head statistics. Hence, we have predicted the Mariners to win this match.