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A place in the ISL semi-finals beckons for FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC as the two in-form teams are set to clash in the playoff game at the Fatorda Stadium on Saturday, April 20.
Historically, Chennaiyin FC have had the better record against the Guars in the knockout rounds, but Goa certainly have a mental edge this season, having beaten Chennaiyin three times in as many encounters.
After a mid-season blip that saw FC Goa suffer three consecutive defeats, Manolo Marquez’s men have bounced back brilliantly, winning five of their last seven games, including four wins on the bounce that saw them finish third.
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Their last game in the league stage came against a rotated Chennaiyin FC team, and although they went behind, FC Goa eventually secured a comfortable 4-1 victory.
Speaking to the media ahead of the clash, Marquez believes that his side is highly motivated to secure a spot in the semi-finals this time around.
"It is a game for sure, Owen Coyle will put eleven players on the pitch for sure and we will start with eleven players on the pitch, and let’s see what happens, in some moments. A lot of things can happen.We are focused. We are motivated. We want to win for the first time for FC Goa and that’s all, and let’s see if we can."
Meanwhile, Chennaiyin FC are also in a rich vein of form, and it’s that form that carried them to a top-six finish after four years. Four wins in their last six games, including a stunning 3-2 victory in Kolkata against Mohun Bagan, mean that their confidence is high at the moment.
However, they will be wary of the threat that FC Goa pose. Owen Coyle expressed that his side will go into this game as underdogs, but also believes that the last three defeats against FC Goa count for nothing in the knockout rounds.
"They won a game during Durand Cup, where we didn’t have the full squad and another one when we made eight changes. They played extremely well when we faced them in Chennai, so credit to them for that. But it’s got nothing to do with the playoff games. Trust me, the previous games count for nothing in the knockout round," he said.
FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC: Telecast details
The ISL playoff clash between FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC will be broadcast live on Sports18 and VH1 in India. It can also be live-streamed on the JioCinema app on Saturday, April 20, from 7.30 pm IST.
FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC: Predicted lineups
FC Goa: Dheeraj Singh (GK), Boris Singh, Odei Onaindia, Nim Dorjee, Jay Gupta, Rowllin Borges, Carl McHugh, Mohammad Yasir, Noah Sadaoui, Brandon Fernandes, Carlos Martinez.
Chennaiyin FC: Debjit Majumder (GK), Ankit Mukherjee, Ryan Edwards, Lazar Cirkovic, Aakash Sangwan, Jiteshwor Singh, Connor Shields, Vincy Barretto, Rafael Crivellaro, Farukh Choudhary, Rahim Ali.
FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC: Prediction
The game will be completely different from the one the two sides played last week. Coyle made eight changes to the starting lineup last week and looked the better side for the opening 30 minutes before Sachu Siby was shown the red card.
Marquez would have been pleased with how his side reacted last week, but he will want them to show improvement, as the game is expected to be played with high intensity. Given Goa’s quality, they are expected to win, but you never know what Chennaiyin FC and an Owen Coyle team can produce in the knockout rounds.
Prediction: FC Goa 2-1 Chennaiyin FC
