ISL 2022/23: FC Goa vs ATK Mohun Bagan - 3 player battles to look forward
FC Goa will invite ATK Mohun Bagan to the Fatorda Stadium on Sunday, November 20. The hosts will be eyeing to stop Juan Ferrando from beating his former side on his return to Goa.
Although the Gaurs have shown inconsistency since the inception of the 2022-23 ISL campaign, there is no doubting their quality. They have demonstrated their spirit and clinical nature in front of the goal by scoring nine goals in five games.
Similar to the hosts, Mohun Bagan has shown enough thurst by producing 12 attacking returns from five games. Their defensive shape has been a worry of late, allowing their opponents to exploit their backline.
Both sides will be hoping for three points in the hope of boosting their playoff hopes.
We shall look at three interesting battles that could determine the outcome of the game.
#3 Liston Colaco vs Seriton Fernandes:
Mohun Bagan's Liston Colaco has continued his devastating form in front of goal this season. The Indian international has operated through the left wing, but defenders have struggled to stop him from cutting inside and scoring or finding his teammates.
Seriton's defensive reliability across the right defensive flank can never be questioned. The 30-year-old has always stood up to the task and has been an integral part of FC Goa for five years. His attacking runs and crosses from the right wing could disrupt the visitors.
#2 Edu Bedia vs Hugo Boumous:
It's a battle between two former teammates that could prove to be pivotal. Hugo Boumous has not been on the scoresheet more often, but his ability to play defense-splitting passes has caused trouble for his opposition during the attacking transition. The ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder has three goal contributions in the 2022/23 campaign.
Edu Bedia, on the other hand, has blown hot and cold under the tutelage of Carlos Pena. The Spaniard will be hoping to get the better of his former teammates to stop the visitors from running their show on the counter-attacks. His set-pieces will also have a huge say in this fixture.
#1 Dimitri Petratos vs Fares Arnaout:
Carlos Pena's idea of playing an all-Indian defense against Kerala Blasters did not go according to plan. Centre-backs Anwar Ali and Aibanbha Dohling struggled to contain the Manjappada forward line. Hence, Fares Arnaout is expected to be restored in the Gaurs backline, along with Anwar Ali.
The Syrian will be tasked with handling Petratos, who has looked devastating up front for ATK Mohun Bagan. The Australian international has already scored three goals and assisted five more this campaign.