Press Trust of India
Kolkata, Nov 21: Reigning champions Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) will be keen to keep their unbeaten record intact against FC Goa when the two heavyweights clash Sunday in an exciting Sunday showdown of ISL-II here.
The Brazilian legend Zico’s brigade is currently on a high after their magnificent 7-0 win over Mumbai, an ISL record as they sit pretty atop the rankings table with a solid goal difference of eight.
But Zico and Co are wary of an opponent against whom they’ve never won from four matches, which include their heartbreaking semifinal second leg loss at home to the eventual winners via penalty shootout.
That would put ATK’s astute coach Antonio Habas in a different confidence zone as he would be able to deploy his men in a more flexible way. The return of Ofentse Nato after serving national duty for Botswana will infuse solidity to their central defence which has come under severe criticism for letting in goals in every match of the season so far.
But in spite of having an all-win record against the Goan side, Habas is not ready to relax even slightly. “Goa are at the top. They are the first team. So I believe it will be the most difficult game till now,” Habas told reporters here Friday. “And they have been in great form in the last couple of matches.”
To their advantage, ATK have slowly come to terms with the prolonged absence of Helder Postiga (he may play Sunday) as the trio of Sameehg Doutie, Jaime Gavilan and Iain Hume are brilliantly combining together upfront and it would be interesting to see them in action against the Goan defence manned by World Cup winner Luciano Sobrosa.
The likes of Dudu Omagbemi and Thongkhsiem Haokip, their two hat-trick heroes against Mumbai FC in the last outing, along with the Brazilian midfielder Leo Moura who had five assists in their victory, will be at the centre of the Goan attack as Zico would bank on them to break the team’s jinx and restore some pride.
“Each game is different, so we are not depending on past records. They (Goa) may have got seven goals in the last match, but they may fail to score against us” Antonio Habas
