Punjab FC face FC Goa in quarterfinal clash

Bhubaneswar

Punjab FC will face FC Goa in the second quarterfinal of the Kalinga Super Cup this Saturday at Kalinga Stadium. After a strong 3-0 win over Odisha FC, Punjab are confident as they look to secure a spot in the semi-finals. FC Goa also reached the quarterfinals by defeating Gokulam Kerala FC with the same 3-0 scoreline.

Punjab’s goals in the last match came from Asmir Suljic, Ezequiel Vidal, and Nihal Sudeesh. Meanwhile, Goa’s Iker Guarrotxena scored a hat trick and remains a key threat to Punjab’s defense.

Punjab’s head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis praised his team's finishing but noted that Odisha had many chances, more than any other team this season. He hopes to avoid similar defensive lapses against FC Goa. He also mentioned that Luka Majcen and Filip Mrzljak, who missed the previous game, are now fit and could play.

Goa have already beaten Punjab twice this Indian Super League season — 2-1 in Goa and 1-0 in New Delhi. Punjab FC aim to break that losing streak and reach the semi-finals.

“We played well in both matches against Goa but didn’t win. This time we want to change that,” said Punjab FC forward Muhammad Suhail F.

The match kicks off at 8 pm. With a chance to qualify for continental competition, both teams will push hard for a win. Punjab will aim to repeat their last match’s form and upset a strong FC Goa side led by coach Manolo Marquez.