Panaji: FC Goa have never lost against Punjab FC, but they’ve never had it easy either.In three of the six matches between the two sides, Punjab have taken the lead, only for Goa to turn it around. Once a Luka Majcen goal was wrongly disallowed, and there was also an entertaining 3-3 draw in Delhi. Another famous escape to victory for Manolo Marquez’s side was when they appeared to be headed for the exit in the 2025 Super Cup, until the penultimate minute, when Borja Herrera drew level and Mohammed Yasir struck an added time winner.“This will be a very difficult game, probably the most difficult of the five,” coach Manolo told reporters during the pre-match media interaction. “They have the same coach, a very good one, and most of the Indian players have continued. From my conversations with the players (during the national camp), I realised they train with very good pace; you can see that in the way they approach games.”Goa are unbeaten in their four matches so far but will be put to the test by Punjab at the Nehru Stadium, Delhi, on Monday.Except East Bengal, which ended goalless, Goa’s points have come against teams ranked in the lower half, including two – SC Delhi and Mohammedan Sporting – at the bottom. In three of the four matches, Manolo’s side has kept a clean sheet, conceding only once in the opener against Inter Kashi. While the back-four marshalled by the central defensive pairing of captain Sandesh Jhingan and Pol Moreno has been almost perfect, the lack of goals upfront, particularly from domestic players, will be a cause for concern.Three of the four goals, two from penalties, have been scored by Dejan Drazic, while Moreno provided the team the lead against Mohammedan, scoring from a corner-kick.“It’s true that only the foreigners have scored but it’s also true that there have been very clear chances for Indian players. There was bad luck too! Ishan (Pandita) came close, Boris (Singh) shot hit the post, Udanta had a good shot, Raynier (came close), and Brison’s effort was saved very well by (East Bengal goalkeeper) Prabsukhan. It’s a good challenge since the Indian players are getting minutes,” said Manolo.In previous interactions, Manolo has stressed on the need for his reserve players to be handed more opportunities. “I need to be brave,” he had told TOI. But while that thought remains, it is unlikely that the experienced Spaniard will be pushed into making wholesome changes, despite seeing his reserves lead 2-0 against the starters in a friendly.“The problem is it’s difficult to make changes. Maybe (Abdul) Rabeeh can change with his pace but for most players it’s difficult. It’s easier to start (and perform), rather than as substitute. I always say that we need players who are not playing to push. They are helping a lot, and I can understand if one of them says these are just words and that he’s not happy.“I think we are having a good season. Against East Bengal, the team showed a lot of personality. We kept the ball for long spells. The atmosphere (in the dressing room) is very good. Finally, one day we will lose, but with this team, it’s easier to move in the right direction,” said Manolo.
