Kolkata, Feb 19 (IANS) With both teams aiming to register their first win of the campaign, Mohammedan Sporting Club will host FC Goa in the first fixture of Match Week 2 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday.

Mohammedan Sporting went down 0-1 to Jamshedpur FC in their season opener. FC Goa, meanwhile, played out a 1-1 draw against debutants Inter Kashi after falling behind and later restoring parity.

Mohammedan SC, under head coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo, fielded an all-Indian squad in their first match and showed defensive discipline and tactical organisation. However, they lacked sharpness in the final third. Back at home, they will look to convert effort into points in front of their supporters.

Addressing the team’s struggles in front of goal, Wadoo was candid about the squad’s limitations and the tactical adjustments required.

“We are a young and inexperienced side, lacking a quality striker. However, we believe in these young players, and tomorrow they are going to put in their best. We have to create more chances; the improvement needs to happen in the final third. Tomorrow we will play better attacking football,” he said.

He cautioned, however, that the task would not be easy against the visitors. “FC Goa are a quality side. They are going to come hard against us.”

FC Goa arrive in Kolkata seeking improvement after dropping points in their opening fixture. The Super Cup champions, led by the tactical nous of Manolo Márquez, dominated possession against Inter Kashi but were punished for missed chances. With a squad bolstered by a solid Indian core and experienced foreigners, the Gaurs will look to silence the home crowd early.

Addressing the challenge, FC Goa head coach Manolo Márquez said, “Obviously, it will be a difficult game. They are playing without too much pressure, and this can be more dangerous. We know that they will play with a lot of intensity. We need to be equal in this aspect. Maybe we have more quality, but we need to show this quality. If we want to win the game, we need to show it on the pitch.”

On the importance of getting a result, Márquez added, “It is important to remove the zero from the points table as soon as possible. We have a team that should definitely be competitive during all thirteen games.”

The fixture brings together a clash of styles: Wadoo’s disciplined, high-energy defensive block against Márquez’s expansive, possession-based football. With the Black and White Brigade desperate to avoid back-to-back defeats and Goa keen to assert their credentials, the Kishore Bharati Krirangan is set for a fiery encounter.

–IANS

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