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It was against Delhi Dynamos last November that FC Goa secured their first Indian Super League win and the aim is to beat the same opponents at the start of the second campaign. Robert Pires and Andre Santos are gone while Lucio and Leo Moura have arrived, and few believe that change is for the better. The visitors changed their manager over the summer and brought in some interesting additions, most notably Roberto Carlos.
FC Goa will be banking on the home support to get them off to a winning start against a team who seem much stronger than them, at least on paper.
Kick-off: Sunday, 4 October 2015 – 7:00 PM
Venue: Fatorda Stadium, Margao – Goa.
Live Telecast: StarSports 1 & 2, StarSports HD1 & HD2
Live Streaming: starsports.com
Team News
FC Goa head coach Zico will have the full squad at his disposal except for Pronay Halder and Narayan Das, who will be joining the Indian National team for the World Cup qualifiers against Turkmenistan and Guam. Pronay Halder won’t be missed much as Bikramjit Singh can play the role of the defensive midfielder in his absence.
But Narayan Das will be a big loss as FC Goa do not have an established backup for the left back position. One among Keenan Almeida, Debabrata Roy or Nicolau Colaco will have to do the job for FC Goa in the absence of Das.
The possible lineup for FC Goa will be similar to the squad that Zico fielded in the practice match against Dempo. Lucio and Gregory Arnolin will start at the centre of the backline while Keenan Almeida and Debabrata Roy will do the duty as wing backs. Bikramjit Singh will play as defensive midfielder just ahead of the two centre backs, a role in which he has established himself over the years.
The midfield will have Leo Moura as the driving force with Romeo Fernandes and Mandar Rao Desai on either side of him. Spaniard Jofre will be expected to play the role of an attacking midfielder, a role which he did not seem comfortable during the practice match. The only spot in the FC Goa squad which is not yet certain is the lone striker. Either of Victor Simoes or Reinaldo or Daryl Duffy could get a chance to play in this crucial position.
GOA XI: Elinton Andrade, Lucio, Gregory Arnolin, Narayan Das, Keenan Almeida, Bikramjit Singh, Leo Moura, Jofre, Romeo Fernandes, Mandar Rao Desai, Reinaldo
Roberto Carlos has one of the most star-studded squads at his disposal with the likes of Florent Malouda and John Arne Riise along with West Bromwich Albion’s talented youngster Adil Nabi in the side. Yet, the player-manager faces the dilemma of having all three of his goalkeepers unavailable due to injury. Subhasish Roy Chowdhury, Ravi Kumar and Toni Doblas are all out with injuries. Not the kind of start he would have hoped for.
As per Brazilian legend, he has added two more goalkeepers to his team list, but he is still not sure whether he will choose a foreigner or Indian goalkeeper for the match. Robin Singh and Shehnaz Singh will be not available for selection because of National duty while Souvik will replace Francis Fernandes too. Carlos will most probably start, as he stated in the pre-match press conference: “I am here to play.”
Delhi Dynamos XI: Subhashish, Roberto Carlos, Riise, Anwar Ali, Souvik, Hans Mulder, Florent Malouda, Shylo, Ralte, Dos Santos, Adil Nabi
Key Battles
Lucio vs Dos Santos
Lucio is one of the most famous names to grace the ISL this season and he will be looking to prove a point even at the age of 37. He has been known over the years for his strong aerial presence in the defence due to his towering height. Although he may have lost a bit of his pace, he would be expected to make up for it with his experience.
He will be up against a young and energetic Brazilian, Gustavo Dos Santos. Dos Santos is not very well known globally but was a real hit towards the end of last season's ISL with his quick pace and dribbling skills troubling most of the teams. Delhi will be hoping to make the most of his quick pace against an ageing Goa centre back pairing.
Leo Moura vs Hans Mulder
Hans Mulder was one of the standout performers for Delhi last season with his gritty performances at the centre of the midfield. Delhi will be hoping that he continues his good performances this year in a team that is much better than last year.
He will come up against another very experienced player from Brazil in Leo Moura who has the finesse of a great player with deft touches and is expected to bolster Goa’s midfield. The attack of FC Goa will be dependent on Moura's performance on the day.
Match Prediction: FC Goa 2-1 Delhi Dynamos
