ISL: With shield on mind, FC Goa eye league double against Hyderabad FC at home

A win here will take them to 39 off 20 matches, which is the same equation as that of Odisha FC.

Whilst Mumbai City FC sits in the pole position to retain the shield currently, there is a lot that can play out and unravel in Matchweek 21 of the competition that commences tonight.

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez will also be eager to get one over his former team Hyderabad FC, which is at the bottom of the standings and comes into this match on the back of a 3-0 loss to Mumbai City FC. Hyderabad FC had preceded that defeat with a victory against Chennaiyin FC and a draw in front of NorthEast United FC.

Those results had built confidence within the unit that they can aim to end the season on a high and they will be travelling to Goa on Friday in a mood to spoil the Gaurs' party.

FC Goa will be aiming to get their second league double against Hyderabad FC, after having previously done so in the 2019-20 season. They won their previous match against the Thangboi Singto-coached side by 2-0 in February, and a prospective win here will make them the second team that the Gaurs have recorded a league double over this season, after East Bengal FC.

Hyderabad FC brought an end to their 10-game-long winless run on the road with the aforementioned 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC. The last time they won consecutive away matches was a sequence of four games from December 2022 to January 2023.

"All teams have ups and downs in their season. The feeling is different when you play initially with the scores we are getting now, as opposed to the other way round," FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez mentioned before the match as quoted by ISL.

"The message to the boys for the last two games is to finish the season strongly. When we go to Goa, we know we will be giving a very tough fight there," Hyderabad FC head coach Thangboi Singto said ahead of the game. (ANI)