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FC Goa will host Bengaluru FC in a high-voltage Indian Super League (ISL) encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa on Sunday.
FC Goa finished top of the league stage in the 2019/20 season and have a season like no other coming up. They will become the first-ever Indian football club to play the AFC Champions League Group Stages when they take the field in February against Asia's best in the West Zone.
Bengaluru FC come into this season with renewed ambitions of winning a title after missing out on the elusive honor in the 2019/20 season. Bengaluru FC will have to get their logistics and player roster sorted as they will also play in Asia but at a lower level. The Blues will play in the AFC Cup 2021 Playoffs next year.
FC Goa have a revamped squad at their disposal under new manager Juan Ferrando. The likes of Hugo Boumous, Ahmed Jahouh, Mourtada Fall and Mandar Rao Dessai all left the club in a transfer rout by Mumbai City FC in the summer transfer window.
The club has regrouped by signing the likes of Igor Angulo, Jorge Ortiz, Ivan Gonzalez and James Donachie who will form the core of the squad in the weeks to come. Unlike Lobera's free-flowing gameplay, Juan Ferrando is expected to be much more tactical and pragmatic in his approach.
Bengaluru FC has retained the better membersof their squad courtesy the abundance of long term contracts at the club. However, to compensate for the first trophy-less season in 2019-20, the JSW-owned side has brought in some new faces like Cleiton Silva, Kristian Opseth and Fran Gonzalez.
The tie is set to be exciting as both Juan Ferrando and Carles Cuadrat are very tactical in their approach. Goa and Bengaluru are historically two of the finest clubs in the ISL, which makes the contest a highly anticipated one for the fans.
FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC - All you need to know
FC Goa hold a very good record against most ISL teams, however, facing Bengaluru FC is a different ball game. Bengaluru FC has come up as a tough challenge for FC Goa since the 2017-18 season, Bengaluru FC's debut in the Indian Super League.
FC Goa and Bengaluru FC have faced each other on 7 occasions. The Gaurs have just managed to eke out 1 win, while the Blues have recorded 5 wins. One game has ended in a draw. However, the head-to-head stats do not reveal the competitiveness between the two teams.
Results of last five ISL matches between FC Goa and Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru FC won the last meeting between the two sides in January 2020. The only time FC Goa won over the Blues was incidentally in the first-ever game between the two sides in 2017, which ended 4-3.
Bengaluru FC 2-1 FC Goa - 3 Jan 2020
FC Goa 1-1 Bengaluru FC - 28 Oct 2019
Bengaluru FC 1-0 FC Goa - 17 March 2019
Bengaluru FC 3-0 FC Goa - 21 February 2019
FC Goa 1-2 Bengaluru FC - 22 November 2018
Top 3 goalscorers from last season
FC Goa - Ferran Corominas (14), Hugo Boumous (11), Jackichand Singh (5)
Bengaluru FC - Sunil Chhetri (9), Deshorn Brown (3), Erik Paartulu (3)
Clean sheets from last season
FC Goa - 5
Bengaluru FC - 11
