FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC – The story so far and what to expect in the final

Zico will be looking forward to leading his team to ISL glory in front of their home fans

Two sides with contrasting fortunes throughout the course of the tournament square off in Sunday’s final hoping to be the second side to lift the Hero Indian Super League title. Both FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC come into this final on the back of convincing wins in the semi-finals.

While Zico’s men brushed aside Roberto Carlos’ Delhi Dynamos, Chennaiyin held on to out defending champions Atletico de Kolkata.

Record in the group stages

The men from Goa began their campaign with a home win against the Delhi Dynamos. Good results followed with a four goal thrashing at the hands of Materazzi’s Chennaiyin being the only blot early on in their season.

FC Goa always looked sure to qualify once they defeated Mumbai City 7-0. They were beaten by Atletico but thereafter regrouped and put in some good performances to eventually finish at the top of the table with 25 points from fourteen games.

On the other hand, Chennaiyin FC suffered for major parts of the season. They started poorly but regrouped soon, beating Goa 4-0 away from home. However, that seemed only an aberration as the poor run continued and it looked like the team would not make it to the last four.

However, things turned around for the team. Following their defeat against Atletico, the MS Dhoni co-owned side won four games on the trot with striker Stiven Mendoza being the destroyer-in-chief.

Road to the finals

Both teams came into the semi-finals on the back of great performances. Chennaiyin kept up their nice form as they thrashed the reigning champions 3-0 to take a good lead to the second leg of their semi-final.

In the return fixture at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan, the men in blue were able to hold on for long periods of time and had goalkeeper Edel Bete to thank for saving one shot after another. A late Fikru goal put the game to the sword and Chennaiyin booked their place in the final.

For Goa, the first leg in Delhi was a game to forget. The players weren’t able to do much and were surely thankful to have come away with just a one nil defeat.

However, once they got back to Goa, they changed gears and were attacking right from the start. That paid dividends as they raced to a two nil lead and right before the end, a Dudu Omagbemi goal confirmed their place in the final to be played at their home ground.

Key players to watch out for

John Mendoza will be the key man for Chennaiyin FC in the final

Chennaiyin will be banking on Stiven Mendoza to deliver the goods on Sunday. He has scored 12 goals so far and looks set to win the Golden Boot this season. Goalkeeper Edel had a poor start to the season but seems to have recovered. He will be important for the side as well. Elano has been disappointing but could become a key figure for the team in such a high voltage clash.

Wadoo has been consistent throughout and will have Mendy giving him company at the back.

Leo Moura has been the key creative force for the team from Goa and Zico will surely depend on him to deliver the goods.

Striker Dudu Omagbemi has been inconsistent at times but has scored a hat-trick and also scored the goal that effectively ensured Goa’s place in the final. With Reinaldo offering a different threat, the team are well set at the striker’s position.

Romeo Fernandes is crucial for the team as well. He scored two goals in the final game of the league stage and is a danger on the wing. At the back, Lucio has been dependable and has partnered well with Gregory Arnolin, and will surely cherish the opportunity to play in the final.

Head-to-head record

In their first clash in the group stage, Chennaiyin thrashed Goa 4-0 with Stiven Mendoza being the pick of the players. However in the return fixture, Goa delivered a massive blow to the Chennai outfit as Zico’s men ran out 2-1 winners with Leo Moura starring.

Looking at this piece of statistic, the final looks to be pretty much an even game.

Prediction

Taking into consideration the consistency shown by both the teams and also the home advantage, FC Goa start as favourites. They will be playing in front of their home crowd and that is sure to be an advantage.

However, over the past few weeks, Chennaiyin FC have shown that they are no pushovers. They have hit top form and taking that into account, they seem to have a slight edge over FC Goa.

Having said that, this is a final. And as they say, in games such as these, form goes out of the window. Finals are often determined by moments of brilliance or by some big mistakes. Let’s just hope that we witness the former tomorrow.

FC Goa 2-3 Chennaiyin FC