Goa will be hosting Odisha at Fatorda Stadium for their second match of the 2023-24 Indian Super League season on Saturday in the early evening match set to kick off at 5:30 pm IST.
The Gaurs started their campaign with a decent win over newly promoted Punjab while the Kalinga Warriors recently played a draw against Des Buckingham’s Mumbai City.
After Goa defeated Punjab in their first game of the 2023-24 Indian Super League season, head coach Manolo Marquez stated that he was not satisfied with the 1-0 victory. Hence, the Gaurs will be looking forward to providing a statement ahead of the other big games of the season.
Current Form
The first match of the Gaurs, which was going to take place against Hyderabad on September 22 was postponed. Hence, they had to start their Indian Super League campaign against Punjab. Despite only one goal being scored in the match, Goa provided a dominant display against the newly promoted side.
The whole side looked compact as Carlos Martinez was Goa’s best player on the ground. The Spaniard played 68 minutes and his passing accuracy was 76%, however, he gave the most important lead of the match for his side, which was his goal in the 14th minute. In addition to that, the Gaurs also had a few more decent chances to score but they failed.
On the other hand, Odisha is currently going through a difficult time. After a harsh 4-0 defeat against Mohun Bagan SG in the AFC Cup, the Kalinga Warriors regained their momentum with a 2-0 win over Chennaiyin. Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Deigo Maurício scored to help the Juggernauts start their Indian Super League campaign with a victory.
Odisha played their second match against Mumbai City. Mawihmingthanga scored his second goal of the season leaving Mohammad Nawaz stunned between the sticks. The midfield of Odisha, consisting of Puitea and Ahmed Jadouh, produced a few brilliant clearances as well as chances to score, but the attack eventually failed to capitalize on all the opportunities.
Roy Krishna also got on the scoresheet with a penalty, but the match ended with the scoreboard reading 2-2. Playing their second game of the AFC Cup, Odisha suffered another unfortunate 3-2 defeat against Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings and the Bhubaneshwar-based side would like to go into the two-week international break with a win in the bag.
Head to Head Record
The rivalry between Goa and Odisha is one of the oldest in the history of the Indian Super League. However, to everyone’s surprise, the Gaurs have been massively dominant in the rivalry.
Goa has recorded 12 victories against the Kalinga Warriors while Odisha has only managed to win three times. The remaining five matches between the two teams have ended in a draw.
Odisha and Goa played against each other for the last time on February 6, earlier this year. The deadlock was broken by Goa’s Noah Sadoui in the 2nd minute. However, the score was equalized by Deigo Mauricio in the 43rd minute.
Team News
No injuries have been reported from the side of Goa as they’ll be locking horns against the Kalinga Warriors with their best squad. Moreover, the Gaurs will be playing with a home advantage as the match will be taking place at Fatorda Stadium, which is also known as the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa.
Odisha will try to stop the Gaurs from winning on their home ground
Sergio Lobera’s Odisha will be prepared to take on the Gaurs will full strength as no injuries or suspensions have been reported on their behalf. Roy Krishna can potentially start the match in the place of Deigo Mauricio, considering his current form.
Mourtada Fall was shown a red card against Mohun Bagan SG in Odisha’s first AFC Cup fixture. As a result, he wasn’t a part of the squad against Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings. However, that won’t affect his performance in the Indian Super League.
Nevertheless, the Juggernauts have to forget about their recent run and hold their heads high if they want to record a win against Goa.
Predicted XIs
Goa (4-4-2): Arshdeep Singh, Seriton Fernandes, Odei Onaindia, Sandesh Jhingan, Jay Gupta, Raynier Fernandes, Carl McHugh, Udanta Singh, Brandon Fernandes, Noah Sadaoui, Carlos Martinez.
Odisha (4-2-3-1): Amrinder Singh, Amey Ranawade, Narender Gahlot, Carlos Delgado, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Puitea, Ahmed Jahouh, Lenny Rodrigues, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Isak Vanlalruatfela, Roy Krishna.
Prediction
Over the years, Goa has always dominated the rivalry against Odisha. On a similar note, they are expected to record another victory against the likes of the Kalinga Warriors. Noah Sadaoui and Brandon Fernandes are also expected to score a few goals and help the Gaurs win their second match in the 2023-24 Indian Super League season.