ISL 2023-24 semifinals: Key battles to look out for in Mumbai City FC vs FC Goa second leg 

Mumbai City broke the hearts of the home fans at the Fatorda Stadium after mounting an incredible comeback against FC Goa in the first leg of their semifinal clash. 

Trailing 0-2 till the 90th minute, the Islanders scored three goals in seven minutes to eventually win 3-2, gaining a one-goal advantage heading into the second leg of the semifinal tie.

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Both teams have excellent players all over the pitch, and the competitiveness between the sides was evident in the first leg. The second leg promises to be no different as both teams look to grab a spot in the ISL final. 

Following are three key battles to look out for in the semifinal second leg between Mumbai City FC and FC Goa. 

Jay Gupta vs Lallianzuala Chhangte

Lallianzuala Chhangte scored a late brace and played a major role in helping Mumbai City comeback against FC Goa. He will also be one of the main attacking outlets for Mumbai City in the second leg. Goa’s breakthrough player, Jay Gupta, who has been impressive in his debut ISL season, will be in charge of trying to stop him. 

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A strong presence in the Goa backline, Gupta has pace in his arsenal, which will be useful in dealing with the pacy winger that is Chhangte. Gupta will undoubtedly have one of the toughest players to contain, considering the form Chhangte is in. Currently, he has the most goal contributions for an Indian player this season (nine goals and six assists). 

Gupta has helped his team keep nine clean sheets in 24 appearances. In terms of defensive numbers, he has made 32 clearances and won 127 duels, including 144 recoveries. 

Yoell van Nieff vs Brandon Fernandes

When Mumbai was struggling initially in the first leg, there was one player who was trying to make things happen in the middle of the park – Yoell van Nieff. The Dutchman, in charge of shielding Mumbai’s backline, also contributed to the attack, making 21 final third passes in the first leg – the most by any player in the match. 

In the second leg, his real challenge will be containing the in-form Brandon Fernandes, who found the net in the first leg and made it three goals in three matches. In total, he has three goals and four assists on total. Fernandes is mainly a box-to-box midfielder and plays an important part in controlling the tempo for Goa. 

Van Nieff will look to utilise his ball recovery skills and stop Fernandes from wreaking havoc from midfield. The Dutchman has won 77 duels till now and has 123 recoveries to his name.  

Mehtab Singh vs Noah Sadaoui 

Noah Sadaoui did not score a goal in the first leg but threatened as usual in the final third. In the second leg, the narrative will not be any different. Unlike the first leg, where Sadaoui was mainly operating in the No. 9 role, in the second leg, there is a chance he can operate on the left if Manolo Marquez starts Carlos Martinez. 

In that case, Mehtab Singh will have the challenging task of dealing with the Moroccan. The biggest concern for Mehtab will be Noah’s pace. Mehtab, not the paciest of defenders, will need to rely on his experience to stop the FC Goa forward from making inroads. Mehtab will surely need defensive cover from his fullback and try to gang up on Noah. 

But this battle is bound to have a big impact on the second and deciding leg.