FC Goa vs Odisha FC: Gaurs whiz past 10-man Juggernauts with a blistering second-half performance

FC Goa ended their two-game losing streak with a crucial 3-0 victory against Odisha FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Saturday, December 10. Although the tie was shaping up as a tightly contested affair, a second-half red card for the visitors tilted the game in favor of the Gaurs.

Arriving for the tie with three consecutive victories, Odisha FC were the clear favorites. They lived up to the billing, at least in the initial exchanges. The Juggernauts created some early chances and Narender Gahlot would've broken the deadlock in the sixth minute itself, if not for a goal-line clearance from Anwar Ali.

In the 18th minute, once again, Odisha FC nearly got on the scoresheet when Nandhakumar Sekar's intended cross from the left flank thumped into the crossbar. Dheeraj Singh seemingly breathed a sigh of relief not seeing the ball ending up in his net.

Minutes later, the home side were once again lucky as a wicked deflection from Jerry Mawihmingthanga could've pushed Anwar's pass into the Goan net. Right at the half-hour mark, Nandhakumar was the first player to go into the referee's book.

Although FC Goa looked a lacklustre outfit throughout the entirety of the half, in the dying moments, they were presented with a clear-cut chance to pull ahead. Iker Guarrotxena was set through on goal before being stopped by the opposition goalie.

The ball fell kindly to Noah Sadaoui, who had an open goal to aim at but still blazed his chip just high of the target.

Both sides went into the half-time break level on terms.

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Nandhakumar Sekar's red card throws Odisha FC into a precarious position in the second half against FC Goa

While Odisha FC were clearly the better side at the end of the first half, FC Goa fought back to regain some of their positional dominance after the break. Carlos Pena brought on Alvaro Vazquez in place of Redeem Tlang to increase their attacking vigor.

In the 63rd minute, the Spaniard combined with Sadaoui to create an opportunity for the Gaurs. But Gahlot stepped in with a crucial challenge to deny the Moroccan, who attempted an audacious flick at the front post.

However, Lady Luck smiled in favor of FC Goa, minutes later, when Nandhakumar Sekar was shown his second yellow of the game for a late challenge on Brandon Fernandes. He was, thus, given the marching orders. With a 1-man advantage, the home side sniffed the possibility of a victory and grabbed it with both hands.

Pena brought on young Brison Fernandes to replace Glan Martins in the 73rd minute. Literally, with his first touch, the 21-year-old thumped a cross from Sadaoui to give the Goans the lead.

Minutes later, Noah Sadaoui doubled his team's lead with a neat finish and capped off his incredible performance. He also set up Alvaro Vazquez in the 86th minute with a brilliant cross into the box, but the Spaniard audaciously squandered the opportunity.

Still, Sadaoui took it upon himself to get the struggling Vazquez on the scoresheet and in the dying moments of the game, the Moroccan was finally successful. The Spaniard smashed a lay-off from his teammate into the back of the net to bag his first goal of the season.

The win takes FC Goa level on points with Kerala Blasters in fifth place. Meanwhile, Odisha FC are just a spot ahead with three more points from nine games.