FC GOA LOOKING FOR AN ISL ENCORE AGAINST CHENNAINYIN FC

FC Goa would look to draw inspiration for their firstleg performance and notch up a win when they meet Chennaiyin FC in their crucial Indian Super League match here tomorrow.

FC Goa had kicked off their ISL campaign with a 3-2 win over Chennaiyin in Chennai and on Thursday they would look to emulate the feat again at the Nehru Stadium to afloat for a play-off berth.

The Goan side has impressed with its attacking play having scored 29 goals, one less than table toppers Bengaluru FC. But, with their porous defence conceding 25 goals and also not been able to keep a single clean sheet, head coach Sergio Lobera has been a worried man.

In the last three matches, they have collected just one point which has pushed them to sixth place. A win tomorrow will help them move to fifth place and close the gap with the top four teams.

Lobera said the next two matches, to be played at home, would be crucial for his side to remain afloat in the tournament.

“We need to win these two matches to keep ourselves in the race for the knockout stage. The important thing is to bring back the confidence of the team and we are working on our mistakes and hopefully we do not repeat the same mistakes and come out victors,” Lobera said.

“In the last three matches, we did not have our key players in different positions. Against Mumbai, we played with 10 men and that made the difference. In the next two matches, we did not have our key players due to injury and red card and that’s how we could not win matches,” he said.

MARGAO: THE GOAN SIDE HAS IMPRESSED WITH ITS ATTACKING PLAY HAVING SCORED 29 GOALS, ONE LESS THAN TABLE TOPPERS BENGALURU. BUT HEAD COACH IS WORRIED ABOUT POROUS DEFENCE