FC Goa will face Al Rayyan once again today in the group stage of the AFC Champions League at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Fatorda, Goa at 10.30 pm IST.
FC Goa is set to take on Qatari Heavyweights after back-to-back defeats put a dent in the Goan side’s hopes of progressing further. Juan Ferrando’s side needs to get back to basics again after they received a battering at the hands of title favorites Persepolis FC.
It’s a must-win game for the Goa to sustain any hopes of qualifying through this group. Al Rayyan is underperforming at the moment. The Laurent Blanc led side is bottom of the pile in Group E even below newbies FC Goa.
The former PSG Coach has all the firepower and pace in his team, with experienced players such as Yacine Brahimi, Yohan Boli, and Shojah Khalidzadeh providing the explosives to the QSL side.
For FC Goa, a promising start to the campaign was hit by injuries and suspensions that costed them dearly in the last two games. They started off their AFC Champions League campaign with a couple of valiant draws, With their performance against Al Wahda being the notable one.
Team News
The Goan stars will be back again for this crucial encounter. With Edu Bedia coming out of suspension and every player fit in the squad, The Gaurs can be more hopeful this time.
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Juan Ferrando’s side needs to take their chances in this game to have any chance of getting a win, they have just scored one goal the whole campaign till now, so goal scoring is a vital problem for this young side.
Predicted Lineups and Formations
Dheeraj Singh has proved his quality at the big stage now and the shot-stopper should be the first name on the Goan Lineup.
The duo of James Donachie and Ivan Gonzalez will be assigned with the responsibility to stop Brahimi and Boli which is expected to be an arduous task.
Seriton and Sanson Pereira will be my preferred full-backs. Seriton over the years has proved his solidity and pushing up the pitch, While Sanson is ball-playing and provides different dynamics to attacks.
Edu Bedia should be at the heart of it all, and is expected to orchestrate the play.
Brandon Fernandes, Glan Martins, A.R Jesuraj, and Ortiz form the quartet behind the striker. Martins is a bit of a destroyer who can take powerful long-range shots. Ortiz’s trickery and directness are crucial to providing width. Brandon has the craft in terms of his set-piece ability.
Ishan Pandita is likely to start as a lone striker.
Match Details :
FC Goa VS Al Rayyan
Kick off – 10:30 pm (IST)
Venue – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda
Telecast – Star Sports 3, Hotstar, Jio TV
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