PANJIM:
A beleaguered FC Goa side showed great grit and commitment to pick up a point from a tough fixture against ATK at the Salt Lake Stadium, officially known as Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata in their previous outing.
With the Gaurs reaching the stadium only an hour prior to kick off and then conceding the opener in only the 4th minute, things looked ominous. However, Sergio Lobera’s men turned on the style thereafter to dominate the hosts with Coro netting his 9th goal of the season. The Gaurs could have walked away with the three points but a late miss let ATK off the hook as FC Goa took away an important point.
The Gaurs next face off against the struggling Highlanders at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati who have only one win in seven matches this season.
The young Spanish coach once again fielded the same team in Kolkata as in previous matches with skipper Laxmikant Kattimani starting in goal. The Goan keeper has put in some good performances after a shaky start to the campaign. He will start in goal in Guwahati.
Goan defender Ali Mohamed has come into his own and has forged a partnership with Bruno Pinheiro in the heart of the Goan defence. The duo is likely to start together once more although Sergio may be tempted to rotate his squad due to the packed fixture schedule.
Sergio Juste and Chinglensana Singh are ideal replacements for both central defenders. Seriton Ferandes and Narayan Das will continue either side of the defence while Amey Ranawade and Mandar Rao Dessai can be used as replacements.
Edu Bedia was the star man for the Gaurs against ATK, putting in a stunning performance from the centre of the park. He will most likely be given another game alongside Moroccan midfielder Ahmed Jahouh. Pronay Halder and Pratesh Shirodkar are options from the bench. Brandon Fernandes played a vital role in helping the side pick up a vital point in Kolkata and he will look to continue on the wing in partnership with Mandar Rao Dessai.
Manuel Lanzarote wasn’t at his scintillating best against ATK but still managed to pick up another assist for his side, thus highlighting his importance to this team. He will start in the attacking midfield position behind Golden boot holder Ferran ‘Coro’ Corominas who has been sensational so far. Manuel Arana and Liston Colaco could also be given a look in.
The Gaurs will want to get back to winning ways and propel themselves to the top of the ISL standings while the Highlanders will also be looking to win in a bid to make a play-off spot.
