Bengaluru will take on strong Goa in the must-win encounter of Indian Football League 2020-21. Both sides would look for full three points to tight its chances for playoffs.
Match Timings: Feb 21, 5 PM IST
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Goa and Bengaluru lock horns in a high-voltage clash of the Indian Football League. Both sides are still in contention for the playoffs, but Goa have an upper hand. After 18 matches, Goa, Hyderabad, and Northeast are at 27 points. If any team drop points, it will affect the table. Mumbai and Mariners both have qualified for the playoffs.
Goa secured a fine victory in its last outing against Odisha and earned all three points. Gaurs were clinically good in the first half and took a 2-0 lead in the first thirty minutes. They tested Arshdeep Singh in just the 4th minute, and the pressure build around Odisha. Alberto Noguera scored the opening goal in the 18th minute through a good cross from center-back Ivan Gonzalez. Jorge Ortiz doubled the lead when he chipped the ball over Arshdeep in the 26th minute. Before the cooling break, Odisha got a goal through Diego Mauricio. Goa were even awarded a penalty when Rakesh touched Angulo outside the box, but Spaniard made a dive into the box. The referee overturned the penalty with a free-kick. Goa netted for the third time with the 75th minute strike. Ivan Gonzalez could have scored one more, but his free header hit the cross-bar. Goa can easily go through as both games are against the playoff contenders. They will face Hyderabad in its final outing so Gaurs can break the playoffs for the successive year.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru pulled off a strong comeback, and they are back in the race for the playoffs. Blues defeated the season’s strongest Mumbai 4-2 in the last outing, and with 22 points, they have slight hope to make into the top four. Bengaluru FC took a 2-0 lead in the early start of the match, and it set the tone for Bengaluru. The Islanders tried to pull off a came back through Adam Le Fondre, who scored twice in the second half, but later, Sunil Chhetri scored a brace to seal the game for Blues. Three points against Sergio Lobero’s men opened the table for Blues. Bengaluru now have two games to play against Goa and Jamshedpur. They can reach a maximum of 28 points, and a draw will be enough to eliminate themselves. Goa and Hyderabad will also face next week, so it’s expected to see one side getting 28 or more than 28 points. Blues have to win both games and hope for the defeat of Northeast in both games, including hoping for a draw between Goa and Hyderabad.
Possible Lineups & Current Form
Bengaluru
Amrinder Singh; Mourtada Fall, Amey Ranawade, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Hernan Santana, Raynier Fernandes, Rowllin Borges, Ahmed Jahouh, Cy Goddard, Bipin Singh, Adam Le Fondre
Current Form: W L D W D
Previous Match: 4-2 victory against Mumbai
Goa
Dheeraj Singh, Seriton Fernandes, Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Saviour Gama, Alberto Noguera, Glan Martins, Princeton Rebello, Alexander Jesuraj, Jorge Ortiz, Igor Angulo
Current Form: W D D D D
Previous Match: 3-1 victory against Odisha
Key Players
Bengaluru
Sunil Chhetri
7 goals in Indian Football League 2020-21
Cleiton Silva
7 goals in Indian Football League 2020-21
Goa
Igor Angulo
12 goals in Indian Football League 2020-21
Jorge Mendoza
6 goals in Indian Football League 2020-21
