On Valentine’s Day, FC Goa will be taking on the might of ATK at home. Having drawn their last matches against Delhi Dynamos and Pune City respectively, this match is of huge significance to both the teams. While ATK has to win all the games from now on to make it to the playoffs, FC Goa would like to cement their place in the playoffs with a win at home.

FC Goa

FC Goa is placed third in the league table with 25 points from 14 games. They have defended their citadel well in the second half of the season compared to the last season. Their overseas centre-backs, Carlos Pena and Mourtada Fall, along with Seriton Fernandes and Mandar have done a good job for Sergio Lobera. They are the highest scoring side in the league this season and Lobera will be expecting Ferran Corominas, Hugo Boumos. They have a clean sheet in their last three games but will be disappointed with their draw against Delhi Dynamos in their last match. Their 2-0 win against Mumbai will have come as a relief amid two drawn matches.

ATK

ATK will be ruing their last drawn match against Pune City FC where they were in a winning position at 2-1 and allowed in a late equaliser. That has left them in the unenviable situation of having to win every match from here on and then rely on the result of some other games. The signing of Edu Garcia, a former Bengaluru FC midfield player, during the winter break indicates that Steve Coppell wants an attacking side to play in the remainder of the season. Garcia has scored two goals in the three matches he has played so far. Manuel Lanzarote, who played for FC Goa last season, is another of his forwards on whom he will rely to score goals. ATK is now placed sixth in the league table with 21 points from 15 games and is three points behind North East Utd FC who are playing tonight against Mumbai City FC.

Head to head

The two teams have played 11 matches between them in the ISL league so far. ATK has won four of those game, one on penalties and Goa has won 1 game. The rest of the games have been drawn. The Gaurs though has beaten ATK handsomely when they last visited Goa at home and drawn their away match.

Current form of the two teams

The two teams have almost similar records going into this match. They both have two wins and a loss each in their past six games. Both the teams have drawn their last game and won the one prior to that.

Prediction

Given that both the teams would want to win this match desperately. ATK more so than Goa, it is difficult to predict a result. Even then I give FC Goa a slight home advantage and bet for 1X: an FC Goa win or a Draw.