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With a commanding 3-0 victory against Gokulam Kerala FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Monday, FC Goa, an Indian Super League (ISL) team, advanced to the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 quarterfinals, as per the ISL official website.
The Gaurs advanced to the following round thanks to Spanish midfielder Iker Guarrotxena, who scored a beautiful hat-trick. The opening goal came in the 22nd minute, following an electric run by Dejan Drazic, who drove forward from the halfway line and was brought down inside the Gokulam box. Guarrotxena stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, smashing the ball down the middle to give his team the lead. Thirteen minutes later, the Gaurs doubled their advantage. Aakash Sangwan surged forward on an overlapping run down the left flank, received the ball in space, and whipped in a pinpoint cross into the box. Guarrotxena timed his run to perfection and volleyed it home past the diving goalkeeper. The Spaniard completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute. This time, it was Jay Gupta who played a sharp low cross to Udanta Singh on the right side of the box. The winger unselfishly squared it to Guarrotxena, who made no mistake in slotting it in from close range. With this, Guarrotxena now has 23 goals in 45 appearances for FC Goa, making him the third-highest goalscorer in the club's history. At the other end, goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari and the defence led by skipper Odei Onaindia and Sandesh Jhingan remained alert. Tiwari made a couple of key saves in the dying minutes to preserve his eighth clean sheet of the season. The win sees FC Goa through to the quarter-finals of the Kalinga Super Cup. FC Goa and Punjab FC have overcome the round of 16 hurdle as both sides are set to face off in a quarter-final clash on Sunday. (ANI)
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