ISL 2023-24: FC Goa faces Jamshedpur in do-or-die match

Jamshedpur, 9 April (HS). FC Goa will face hosts Jamshedpur FC in the first match of the double header in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 to be played at the JRD Tata Sports Complex this evening.

Jamshedpur team is out of the race to qualify for the playoffs. However, Goa are strong contenders to become the Indian Super League 2023-24 league winners. They are placed fourth with 39 points from 20 matches, they need to win both their remaining matches to reach 45 points and their chances of finishing the league stage on top will stand only when they play against Odisha FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giants in Mumbai. City FC loses its last two matches.

FC Goa has recovered from the minor setbacks since the resumption of the season in late January by winning thrice and drawing twice in its last five matches. In contrast, Jamshedpur FC had made a strong start to the second half of the season, but dropped 11 out of a possible 15 points in their last five matches to fall out of contention for sixth place.

“I am not happy,” Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil said in the pre-match press conference on Monday. I think we deserve to be in the top six. I am not blaming everyone. All the players, foreign and Indian, were very committed and they were very happy, and the management has worked very hard, but I think we deserved to be in the top six, and we should think beyond that because we have good- There is a huge fan base.”

Manolo Marquez, Spanish head coach of FC Goa, said, “Jamshedpur FC is out of the playoffs, but when their coach came, everyone believed that they were out. The team responded very well, defeating Mumbai City FC despite being 2–0 down. The way they play, they are very difficult to face.”

Let us tell you that so far 13 matches have been played between the two teams, out of which FC Goa has won 7 and Jamshedpur FC has won 4, while 2 matches have been drawn.