FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Durand Cup semi final preview, head-to-head stats : Former Champions face a well drilled Mohun Bagan side on their home soil

On Thursday afternoon Former Champions FC Goa is going to face home team Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who will face each other in the semi final of Durand Cup 2023 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. In the quarter finals, Goa defeated Chennaiyin 4-1 and Mumbai City FC was defeated 3-1 by the Greens and Maroons. All of this sets up for a thrilling encounter so here's the match preview of FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant where we provide you with necessary information related to this fixture.

Read also : Northeast United vs. East Bengal, Durand Cup 2023: East Bengal pip over Northeast in penalties after late drama

Match Details: FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Date: 31/08/2023
Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata
Live Streaming: Sony LIV and Sony Ten 1

FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant | Head-to-head record

In the last seven encounters, Mohun Bagan have dominated FC Goa by winning four and drawing just once. This encounter never lacked goals and on Thursday evening too we can expect the same. Goa would look to turn things around and make it three wins out of eight matches.

FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant | Latest results

Team News | FC Goa vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant: Durand Cup 2023 semi-final

FC Goa

Manolo Marquez has assembled a talented bunch of footballers and the local Goan flair and passion has also been maintained with the likes of Brandon Fernandez, Rowlin Borges, Devendra Murgaokar, Raynier Fernandes, Seriton Fernandes and Saviour Gama forming an integral part of the squad. The infusion of experienced foreign players like Carl Mchugh and Carlos Martinez and Indian stars like Sandesh Jhingan and Udanta Kumam, has also added loads of efficiency and solidity to the Gaurs side.

Manolo Marquez showed absolute calmness in the pre-game chat saying, "Well, it's always very good for any team to play in the semi-finals of a prestigious tournament like the Durand Cup. It's very good for us also, especially as we've been facing some top teams. For us, we've just started the last part of our pre-season preparations prior to the start of the ISL and we're happy to play in competitive situations like this right now."

Mohun Bagan Super Giant

The Australian striker Jason Cummings, after the pre-match training, "We are the best team in India. We have the potential to beat any other clubs. We have 7-8 good National team players. Even the foreigners are also working hard to give their best. After defeating Mumbai we got back the much needed confidence. So we are confident again to defeat Goa. Reaching the Durand Cup final will be our first target. That is our main focus now. If we can win a trophy before the ISL and the AFC Cup then it gives extra confidence to the team. We will try to do that."

With a forward line which boasts of Armando Sadiku, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, besides Cummings and a midfield manned by the likes of Hugo Boumous and Anirudh Thapa among others, MBSG definitely looks like the team to beat this season If on song. In-fact, if local Maidan afficionados are to be believed, MBSGs biggest strength this season has been their bench, which has made them deliver performances across three competitions that they have been part of simultaneously.

MBSG coach Juan Ferrando also had a few words of praise for the Goa side, "Goa is also a balanced and good team as Mumbai. This Goa is much different from last year's Goa. They have a new Coach. They have good footballers like Noah , Boris , Udanta, Sandesh and Carl McHugh. So we have to give importance to them. We have AFC Cup group matches coming up. So before that playing against Goa will be a good practice match. We haven't had a good pre-season so far due to many reasons. So for the team's best form we have to play more matches. Yes, we beat Mumbai but still a lot of improvement is required in the team. We want to go to the final but without any player's injury. So for that maybe some changes might happen in the formation."

Brendan Hamill is probably not going to be in the starting XI in the upcoming fixture as he has suffered an injury. Dimitrios Petratos is most likely to replace the Australian. Nevertheless, a thrilling and equally contested game of football can surely be expected from two top sides of Indian football.