ISL 2023-24: FC Goa clashes with Jamshedpur FC in a must-win encounter to stay in contention for League Shield

FC Goa travels to take on Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on April 9, Tuesday, at 5:00 PM IST in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24.

The Red Miners have already crashed out of the race to qualify for the playoffs. However, the Gaurs are very much in contention for the League Shield title.

Currently placed fourth with 39 points from 20 games, Goa needs to win both its remaining games to get to 45 and have a chance of finishing the league stages at the top. At the same time, it will need Mumbai City FC to lose its last two matches against Odisha FC and the Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

After a minor setback since the season restart late January, FC Goa has recovered slightly by winning thrice and drawing twice in its last five games. Contrastingly, Jamshedpur FC had begun the second-half of the season strongly, but dropping 11 points out of a possible 15 from its last five encounters has made knocked it out of the contention for a Play-off spot.

Jamshedpur FC has been winless in its last three matches against FC Goa, facing a 1-0 loss in the latest encounter.

Currently, it is on a run of eight games without a clean sheet in its own backyard. The last time it didn’t concede a goal in the home turf was against Punjab FC in October 2023.

ALSO READ | ISL 2023-24: Chennaiyin FC hosts NorthEast United in do-or-die clash for playoffs

As Jamshedpur FC is struggling to keep a clean sheet at home, FC Goa is encountering no problems in finding the back of the net on the road. The Gaurs have notched a strike in each of its last eight away matches. The only time it has gone on a longer run than this was a sequence of 11 matches from January 2016-2018.

FC Goa needs to be wary of wrapping up games neatly though, given that it has conceded 33% of the goals in the final 15 minutes of its matches this season.

On the contrary, Jamshedpur FC has notched 35% of goals in the afore-mentioned period, which is the second highest such share for any team, behind only Hyderabad FC, i.e. 56%.

A win at all costs is of utmost importance for the Gaurs to not fall off balance in the pursuit of the ISL League Shield this season.