ISL 2024-25: Marquez’s unbeaten streak in threat against In-form Bengaluru FC
Bengaluru(The Uttam Hindu): The Sree Kanteerava Stadium will witness Bengaluru FC take on FC Goa to kick off the Saturday double-header of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25. These two teams have endured positive forms this season, with Bengaluru FC collecting 23 points from 11 games and sitting second in the table, and the Gaurs placed fifth with 18 points from 10 matches. However, their rivalry goes a long way back, as it was the then-Sergio Lobera-coached FC Goa whom Bengaluru FC had beaten at the Mumbai Football Arena in the finals in March 2019 to clinch the ISL title in 2018-19, which remains the only time the Blues have won the championship. It was Rahul Bheke who had netted a late winner for the Blues back then, and Gerard Zaragoza was an assistant coach to Carles Cuadrat for them in that campaign. With Bheke and Zaragoza coming back to Bengaluru FC, they are playing key roles in helping them scale back to the peaks they achieved over five years ago. Up against them will be an in-form FC Goa unit, who have notched 13 points out of a possible 15 in their last five games, with their head coach Manolo Marquez yet to lose a game in his nine contests against Bengaluru FC (W 6, D 3).
Bengaluru FC have won five times and drawn once in their six home matches this season. Their tally of five triumphs so far is already as many as the total home wins the Blues managed in the league in the entirety of the 2023-24 season. Furthermore, their 16 points from six home encounters are the most they have garnered after these many clashes on this ground in any ISL campaign. Bengaluru FC started the season astonishingly well by keeping a clean sheet in each of their first five games. However, they have since gone on to concede strikes in each of their following six encounters, giving away 13 goals in this period. The last time they went on a longer stretch without a clean sheet was for 11 games between February and December 2021. Zaragoza will be looking forward to breaking this run as soon as possible. FC Goa have clinched victories in each of their last three matches against Bengaluru FC, which comprised a crucial 3-0 win in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Overall, Bengaluru FC have secured a solitary point in their previous five encounters against the Blues, which came through a goalless draw in 2023-24. The Gaurs will derive significant confidence from their recent spate of terrific outcomes against the Blues. The two teams have played 16 matches against each other in the ISL, with Bengaluru FC and FC Goa winning seven and five encounters respectively. Four games have resulted in draws with an average of 2.81 goals being netted per game. Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza asked his team’s fans to show up in large numbers for the game against FC Goa. He also assured that his team isn’t dealing with any fitness concerns at the moment. “We don’t have any fitness issues. I’m sure both teams will be ready for the match. I want the supporters to turn up in large numbers like they’ve done so far and our players will make sure that they create a good environment,” Zaragoza said. FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez appreciated his players for overcoming unique challenges in every game to get a good string of results under their belt. “To win four consecutive games in this competition is really difficult. Each match has been really different to each other and the players have understood the tasks really well,” Marquez said.
