Goa vs Hyderabad: Preview and Prediction
The first fixture of matchday 14 of the 2022-23 season of the Indian Super League season will see Goa taking on Hyderabad at Goa’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday.
Goa might not have been the best team in the competition, but they certainly have done a lot better than last season. Having won six of their first 12 matches and accumulated 19 points, they are placed fifth in the standings.
On the other hand, Hyderabad has done a decent job in terms of a title defense which has always proven tricky in the history of ISL. They have won nine of their first 12 matches – joint-highest with Mumbai City. With 28 points, they are placed second in the points table.
Current Form
Goa started their season on a positive note, beating East Bengal and Chennaiyin in their first two matches. The winning run came to a halt when they met Hyderabad in their third match, but bounced back with a stunning 3-0 win over Jamshedpur in the fourth match.
However, it was followed by a poor run where Carlos Pena’s men lost three out of four matches – against Kerala Blasters, Bengaluru and Mumbai City, with a win against ATK Mohun Bagan being the only exception. The Gaurs turned their season around with a run of three unbeaten matches, but they will come into this fixture on the back of a 1-2 defeat against the Mariners.
Hyderabad’s start was not as great, as they could only pick up a point in the first match against Mumbai City. However, Manuel Marquez Roca’s team then went on a five-game winning spree, where they defeated NorthEast United, Bengaluru, Goa, Odisha and Jamshedpur.
Things were looking very promising, when out of the blue, the Nizams lost two matches on the trot – against Kerala Blasters and ATK Mohun Bagan. However, they have turned the tables once again and will arrive in Goa with four consecutive wins to boast, which came against Chennaiyin, East Bengal, Bengaluru and NorthEast United.
Head to Head Record
Goa is ahead in terms of head-to-head records, but only by the slightest of margins. They have won three of the past seven meetings against Hyderabad, with the Nizams winning two matches. The other couple of fixtures ended in draws.
In the first meeting of this season, which took place back in October last year, Roca’s team emerged as 1-0 winners. Javi Siverio scored the deciding goal in the 10th minute, as while the Gaurs tried all they could to score an equalizer, it simply was not to be for them.
Team News
It is likely that Pena will make changes to his starting XI after what was an unimpressive show against ATK Mohun Bagan. Seriton Fernandes had a difficult time trying to keep Hugo Boumous quiet, and in his place, Sanson Pereira could be given a chance.
Redeem Tlang was also mostly ineffectively, and he might have to have his right-winger’s role for Makan Chothe. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, Moroccan goal-machine Noah Sadaoui is likely to be back in the team, replacing Spaniard Alvaro Vazquez.
The equation will be very different for Roca, as he will be tempted to field an unchanged starting XI after his team ran riot against NorthEast United in the last fixture, winning 6-1 in the process. However, there is still room for one tweak.
Hitesh Sharma did not look very comfortable in midfield and was replaced by Sahil Tavora before the hour mark. In this match, we could see the 27-year-old Goa-born player featuring from the start.
Predicted XIs
Goa (4-2-3-1): Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem; Sanson Pereira, Marc Valiente, Anwar Ali, Aibanbha Dohling; Glan Martins, Edu Bedia; Makan Chothe, Iker Guarrotxena, Brandon Fernandes; Noah Sadaoui.
Hyderabad (4-2-3-1): Gurmeet Singh; Nikhil Poojary, Odei Onaindia, Nim Dorjee Tamang, Akash Mishra; Sahil Tavora, Borja Herrera; Mohammad Yasir, Bartholomew Ogbeche, Halicharan Narzary; Javi Siverio.
Prediction
Goa might enjoy the edge on head-to-head records, but Hyderabad is ahead both in terms of current form and the pedigree of players they possess. Hence, we have predicted the Nizams to secure all three points from this match.