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In a wild and dramatic showdown, Punjab FC and FC Goa battled to a thrilling 3-3 draw at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Monday, March 11.
The Gaurs took an early lead through Carl McHugh, but just as they seemed poised to dominate the proceedings, Punjab FC clawed back in the second half. Quick-fire goals from Wilmar Jordan Gil and Luka Majcen propelled the hosts into the lead.
However, FC Goa responded to level the score through Noah Sadaoui, only to lose concentration and allow Punjab FC to reclaim the lead courtesy of Juan Mera. The dramatic final quarter of the game saw Carlos Martinez score FC Goa’s third goal in the 84th minute, resulting in a nail-biting stalemate.
Punjab FC have been in incredible form since the turn of the year, winning four of their last six games, while the Gaurs have struggled in recent weeks with four consecutive defeats that have hampered their title charge.
Nevertheless, a win against East Bengal last week gave Goa momentum, and they began with that same intensity in Delhi as well.
Manolo Marquez’s men were guilty of missing chances against the Torchbearers, but this time, they capitalized on their strong start to open the scoring inside the fifth minute. Borja Herrera’s out-swinging corner found an unmarked McHugh, who thumped home a powerful volley to stun the Shers.
The tactical battle in the early stages was certainly intriguing, but the Gaurs consistently got the better of their opponents, with chief creator Madih Talal tightly marked and receiving no space to operate.
FC Goa came close to doubling their lead in the 25th minute when Raynier Fernandes’ pile-driver from the edge of the penalty box seemed destined to find the bottom corner, but Ravi Kumar’s fingertip save kept Punjab in the game. Both Noah Sadaoui and Herrera also came close to scoring towards the end of the half, but Kumar was once again present to deny their efforts.
At the half-time whistle, FC Goa custodian Dheeraj Singh had no saves to make, but his team, despite all the dominance, had only one goal to show for it.
Punjab FC secure a point against FC Goa following high scoring second half
FC Goa started the second half similarly to the first, as Punjab were largely pinned back. Sadaoui had the first clear-cut chance of the half when he received the ball on the half-turn before unleashing a strike from outside the box. His attempt beat Ravi Kumar comfortably but rattled the crossbar before deflecting out of play.
Punjab FC certainly relied on a bit of luck and punished Goa in the 55th minute to level the proceedings. The front three combined again. Talal, who struggled to find space centrally, moved to the right flank and delivered a dangerous cross, which was met by Jordan. He then teed up Majcen, whose scuffed effort found his strike partner again, who had a simple tap-in.
The Shers roared back and turned the game around out of the blue. Around the hour mark, Punjab outnumbered their opponents on the break, and Talal, this time utilizing the space, found Majcen with an inch-perfect through ball, who took one touch before hitting the top corner of the net.
Just as momentum seemed to favor the hosts, the Gaurs came back into the game, as Mohammed Salah brought down Boris Singh inside the box. Sadaoui stepped up, and this time, he converted the spot-kick to bring the scores level.
The topsy-turvy nature of the game continued, and as Goa looked to reclaim their lead, Punjab struck once again on the counter-attack. Talal was at the center of it again; this time, his first-time pass found substitute Mera in space. The Spanish midfielder cut inside onto his favored foot before beating Dheeraj Singh with a stunning strike to send the Punjab dugout into a frenzy.
However, all their celebrations were short-lived as Goa leveled the scores with seven minutes of regulation time left. Individual quality was on display yet again, as McHugh’s lobbed pass found Sadaoui, who turned provider and set up a simple tap-in for Martinez.
At the end of a stunning game, Punjab moved level on points with Bengaluru FC, who are currently placed sixth, while FC Goa booked their place in the playoffs, but remain two points behind third-placed Odisha FC.
