ISL: With second spot booked, FC Goa host Mohammedan SC

Margao (Goa) [India], March 3 (ANI): FC Goa will play Mohammedan SC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Tuesday.
The Gaurs have confirmed a second-placed finish after the fourth-placed Jamshedpur FC dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Kerala Blasters FC. With two games in hand, the Red Miners can only get to a maximum of 44 points now, which would still fall short of FC Goa's current tally of 45 points from 22 matches.
The third-placed Bengaluru FC has 38 points from 23 encounters. This means that the Gaurs are set to play the semi-finals directly and would not have to engage in the one-legged eliminator in the playoffs. Mohammedan SC has lost four times and drawn once in its previous five games, having 12 points from 22 games.
The previous fixture between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw on September 21, 2024. Another draw here would make Mohammedan SC only the third team that FC Goa have drawn against in their first two ISL meetings, after Mumbai City FC (2014) and East Bengal FC (2020-21).
FC Goa has won each of its last four home games in the ISL. A victory in this game would make it the third time in its history that it has registered five or more straight home wins in a single season, after seven triumphs on the bounce in 2019-20 and five in 2023-24, a release said.
FC Goa have been lethal from a distance this season, as Carl McHugh's strike against Punjab FC was their ninth goal from outside the box this season. Another such strike will see them become only the fifth team in the ISL to hammer 10-plus goals away from the 18-yard box in a single campaign.
Mohammedan SC kept a clean sheet in their last away game against Odisha FC (0-0 on February 28). The only time they managed consecutive shutouts this season was in January. Their three away clean sheets in 2025 are the joint-most by any ISL team (alongside Mohun Bagan Super Giant).
Mohammedan SC have conceded nine headed goals this season, the joint-highest tally alongside Hyderabad FC. Only Odisha FC have ever conceded more headed goals in a single ISL season (13 in 2021-22 and 12 in 2020-21).
This will be only the second ISL meeting between the two teams. The first encounter in September 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw.
FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez affirmed that his team cannot let their guards down despite locking in the second place.
"We have the second place confirmed, but we need to have two good games because if we don't perform well, then any team can defeat any other side in the ISL," he said, according to the release.
Mohammedan SC assistant coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo admitted that his side will have to produce an improved performance to stand a chance of winning the upcoming contest.
"FC Goa have been a good team and are in a good position. We will have to give it our best effort if we want to take three points from this fixture," he said. (ANI)