ISL 2022-23: Iker Guarrotxena's hat-trick allows FC Goa to sink East Bengal 4-2

Iker Guarrotxena netted a hat-trick inside the opening quarter, the fastest of this season, to lift FC Goa (FCG) into third place in the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) standings after a 4-2 victory over East Bengal (EBFC) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Thursday. The 12-minute salvo from Guarrotxena took his goal tally for the season into double figures and moved the Spaniard to the top of the goalscoring charts. The result also struck a blow to EBFC’s playoff hopes, and it now finds itself ten points off sixth place with five games to go. The Gaurs made no changes to their line-up from the previous fixture, as head coach Carlos Pena only changed the formation from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-1-2-3. The Torch Bearers made three changes, including Ivan Gonzalez, Jerry Lalrinzuala and Sumeet Passi in the starting XI.

The slight tweak in formation added more attacking prowess to a Goa side eager to pull clear of the vulnerable playoff spots. It did not take long to see Pena’s gamble work as the hosts had a commanding 3-0 lead after just 23 minutes. It all began in the 11th when Devendra Murgaonkar slid a through ball into the box from the right to Noah Sadaoui. Under pressure from Passi, the winger poked it into the path of Guarrotxena, who tapped it in from close range.

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Ten minutes later, Guarrotxena doubled his tally with a spectacular diving header. This time, the attack started from the left flank as Sadaoui whipped a pin-point delivery into the box, and Guarrotxena’s glancing header bounced off the far post and landed inside the goal. The Spaniard finished his hat-trick just a couple of minutes later. Brandon Fernandes’ corner was headed away from the target by Fares Arnout before Sanson Pereira headed it back into the box. The EBFC defence was detected on the wrong foot, with Guarrotxena lifting the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Seven minutes into the second half, Lalchungnunga fouled Brandon near the edge of the box. Edu Bedia and Brandon stood over the free-kick before the latter curled it in at the far post to increase Goa’s benefit. The visitors scaled a concise challenge when an unmarked Suhair VP nodded in Mahesh Singh’s cross from close range in the 59th, and Sarthak Golui brought the debt down to two in the 66th with another header.

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But, it had left itself too much to do. In the end, Redeem Tlang’s low strike was thwarted onto the post by Kamaljit Singh in the 80th, and Mahesh’s 87th-minute effort at the other end was negligibly wide at the near post as both sides looked for more goals. But the scoreline stayed unbroken till the full-time whistle.

Goa has moved up into third place, although Kerala Blasters (KBFC)), ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) and Odisha FC (OFC) have a couple of fixtures in hand just below it. Edu Bedia saw his fourth yellow card of the season and will miss the Gaur’s subsequent meeting versus OFC on February 6. East Bengal (EBFC) is fast running out of time and will take on KBFC in its upcoming ISL match on February 3.