Super Cup: FC Goa seek first points; Jamshedpur FC, ATK Mohun Bagan eye top spot

The Malabarians have won the I-League in the last two seasons, but their ambitions to make a hat-trick of titles were dashed this season as they could only finish fourth.

The Gaurs, on the other hand, ended the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season in the seventh position and missed out on a playoff spot by a whisker.

In the Group C match on Friday, both teams need to win to keep their hopes of securing a place in the semi-finals alive. In the four-team group, ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur FC, who are also meeting on Friday, are sitting pretty after winning their respective first outings. While they have three points each, Gokulam Kerala and FC Goa are without a point after losing their opening matches.

Gokulam Kerala FC Head Coach Francesc Bonet said that it would be a competitive match for both teams as they would try to win at any cost. He sounded confident that if his boys play as a team and stick to their plan, Gokulam will surely dish out a good performance.

Bonet is definitely banking on the crowd support that Gokulam Kerala FC possibly could receive at the Kozhikode ground. He said: "We hope the fans get behind the team and be the 12th member when we face FC Goa tomorrow."

Meanwhile, FC Goa will be looking to bring in some real changes in the defensive shape, which led them to concede goals in quick succession against Jamshedpur FC in their last match. FC Goa Head Coach Carlos Pena reaffirmed that they needed to pull up their socks against Gokulam Kerala FC to have any chance of winning and keeping their hopes alive of securing promotion to the knock-out stages.

Pena sounded positive when he said, "We want to be in a better position after tomorrow's match and raise our chances with another good performance against ATK Mohun Bagan."

Jamshedpur FC and ATK Mohun Bagan will battle it out for a top spot in Group C of the Super Cup at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode, Kerala, on Friday.

Despite going down early in their first game, Jamshedpur registered a superb 5-3 comeback victory against FC Goa on Monday. Rafael Crivellaro played a vital role in their triumph as the Brazilian stalwart registered two goals and an assist.

On the flip side, Liston Colaco was on song for ATK Mohun Bagan as they thrashed I-League side Gokulam Kerala 5-1. The 24-year-old winger bagged a spectacular brace as he spearheaded the ATK Mohun Bagan attack throughout.

Ahead of their clash, Jamshedpur Head Coach Aidy Boothroyd spoke about how his team has prepared to face the Indian Super League 2022-23 champions. "As we do with every team, we treat them with respect and assess their strengths and weaknesses," he said. They've had a very good season, winning the title. It will be an intense game and I expect it to be a cagey affair."

The two teams also faced each other twice during the ISL season and both games turned out to be close encounters. ATK Mohun Bagan edged the game in their backyard, courtesy of a late Hugo Boumous penalty, while the second leg in Jamshedpur ended in a goalless draw.

Recalling the previous clashes, Boothroyd went on to add, "We are coming on the back of keeping a clean sheet against them the last time we played. We'll make sure we focus on our game and score some goals."

ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Juan Ferrando also showed respect to his opponents and their style of play. "We have a lot of respect for Jamshedpur. They trust their plans and play with two experienced forwards," he said.

Talking about his side's mindset for the game, Ferrando urged them to keep their calm. "The idea is to keep calm as it is only one game. We need to work against Jamshedpur and hope that the performance of the team will be good," the Spaniard concluded. (ANI)