FC Goa Will Face Chennaiyin FC

FC Goa will battle it out with Chennaiyin FC in match 54 of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa on Saturday.

FC Goa are still struggling to find momentum this season despite the appointment of new head coach Derrick Pereira, as they shared the points with Kerala Blasters FC in their last game.

Chennaiyin FC, however, picked up a win in their last match against Jamshedpur FC after two back-to-back losses in their previous games. While the Marina Machans are still eyeing a shot at the top four, FC Goa still have a long way to go.

Form Guide

FC Goa

The Gaurs are yet to win a game under new head coach Derrick Pereira, as they sit ninth in the league table with nine points, winning two, drawing three, and losing four games.

Chennaiyin FC

The Marina Machans stand fifth in the league standings with 14 points with four wins, two draws, and three losses. Having kept the joint-highest clean sheets (3) in this campaign, Chennaiyin FC will eye to end the first half of fixtures with another clean sheet.

Head-to-Head

The two sides have met on 19 separate occasions, with FC Goa having the advantage with nine wins while Chennaiyin FC have been on the winning end on eight occassions. As history says, the two sides have witnessed a plethora of goals and not a single fixture has gone goalless over the last seven seasons. At the end of the game, this will be the most played fixture in Hero ISL history.

Team News

Chennaiyin FC will be missing Ariel Borysiuk as he won’t be playing this match, and new signing Nerijus Valskis will be available for selection.

Key Stats

Goals Galore

With 73 goals in 19 games, no other Hero ISL fixture has seen more goals than Chennaiyin FC vs FC Goa. Chennaiyin FC have scored 37 goals against FC Goa — the most goals they have scored against any opposition. Meanwhile, FC Goa have scored 36 goals against Chennaiyin FC — they have scored more goals only against Mumbai City FC (38).

Key Players

FC Goa

Edu Bedia: Bedia has been pulling the strings in the midfield for his side, making 28 tackles, 20 interceptions, seven clearances, and seven blocks out of eight games. His passing accuracy of 87.07% is the highest of any FC Goa player with more than 100 touches this season.

Muhammed Nemil: The 19-year-old youngster has been prolific for his side in the midfield. Quick on his feet, Nemil is known to create spaces to allow goalscoring chances.

Chennaiyin FC

Anirudh Thapa: The skipper has been phenomenal for his side, making 33 tackles, 19 interceptions, 17 blocks, and nine clearances. Thapa has the ability to control and direct the tempo of the game.

Nerijus Valskis: After making a return to his former club, Valskis will add to the lacking goals tally in the Chennaiyin FC side. The forward has three goal contributions in six games this season. Overall, Valskis has scored 25 goals and provided 7 assists in 44 Hero ISL games.

Match Timings and Telecast Details

Match: FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC                      

Date: 08th January 2022   

Venue: Athletic Stadium, Bambolim, Goa

Kick-off time: 9:30 pm

Telecast: Star Sports Network

Online Streaming: Disney+Hotstar, and JioTV.