ISL 2024-25: After Securing 2nd Place, FC Goa Aim To End Regular Season On High Against Mohammedan SC

ISL 2024-25: After securing 2nd place, FC Goa aim to end regular season on high against Mohammedan S (Image Source: IANS)

Mohun Bagan Super Giant: FC Goa will play Mohammedan SC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday. The Gaurs have confirmed a second-placed finish after the fourth-placed Jamshedpur FC dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Kerala Blasters FC.

With two games in hand, the Red Miners can only get to a maximum of 44 points now, which would still fall short of FC Goa’s current tally of 45 points from 22 matches. The third-placed Bengaluru FC have 38 points from 23 encounters.

This means that the Gaurs are set to directly play in the semifinals and would not have to engage in the one-leg eliminator in the playoffs. Mohammedan SC have lost four times and drawn once in their previous five games, having 12 points from 22 games. The previous fixture between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw on September 21, 2024. Another draw here would make Mohammedan SC only the third team that FC Goa have drawn against in their first two ISL meetings, after Mumbai City FC (2014) and East Bengal FC (2020-21).

FC Goa have won each of their last four home games in the ISL. A victory in this game would make it the third time in their history that they register five or more straight home wins in a single season, after seven triumphs on the bounce in 2019-20 and five in 2023-24.

FC Goa have been lethal from a distance this season, as Carl McHugh’s strike against Punjab FC was their ninth goal from outside the box this season. Another such strike will see them become only the fifth team in the ISL to hammer 10+ goals away from the 18-yard box in a single campaign.

Mohammedan SC kept a clean sheet in their last away game against Odisha FC (0-0 on February 28). The only time they managed consecutive shutouts this season was in January. Their three clean sheets in away games in 2025 are the joint-most by any ISL team (alongside Mohun Bagan Super Giant)

Mohammedan SC have conceded nine headed goals this season, the joint-highest tally alongside Hyderabad FC. Only Odisha FC have ever conceded more headed goals in a single ISL season (13 in 2021-22 and 12 in 2020-21).

This will be only the second ISL meeting between the two teams. The first encounter in September 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw.

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez affirmed that his team cannot let their guard down despite locking in second place. “We have the second place confirmed, but we need to have two good games because if we don’t perform well, then any team can defeat any other side in the ISL,” he said.

This will be only the second ISL meeting between the two teams. The first encounter in September 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw.

Article Source: IANS