Mumbai: Winless after four games, FC Goa would be keen to break the jinx when they take on a depleted Mumbai City FC in an Indian Super League game at the Andheri Sports Complex, on Saturday.
Coached by Brazilian football legend Zico, last year's runners-up Goa are yet to strike the rhythm and have slumped to three defeats out of four matches played so far.
However, the Goans would be expecting that the 1-1 away draw on October 16 against former champions Atletico de Kolkata could be just the turning point in their dismal season so far.
The heroics of goalkeeper Subashish Roy Chowdhury, who took the field after a huge gap of one year and eight months, and a late spot-kick goal from Joffre saved Goa from a fourth straight loss in the tournament as they held Atletico to a draw in Kolkata.
Since the start of the ISL in 2014, no team has gone without winning in the first five matches but should FC Goa lose or draw against Mumbai, the unwanted record will be theirs.
Goa and Zico have been in a similar situation in 2014 when the outfit had only a point after the first four matches but recovered well to make it to the semi-finals.
This time too Zico exuded confidence that Goa can turn the corner, especially against a team that has remained winless in the last three matches.
"We are playing well. Even in games which we have lost, we could have had different results. We lost at least two matches largely due to our own mistakes rather than the merits of the other team," Zico said during the pre-match media briefing.
The home team will also be eager to get back into the winning ways after coming off with a 0-1 loss to Kerala Blasters and a 3-3 draw against Delhi Dynamos in their two previous matches.
The 1-1 draw against Atletico on Ocober 11 had earlier put an end to Mumbai City's two-game initial winning spree and they would be pulling out all stops to get the better of Goa.
Mumbai City are a transformed lot this season under Costa Rican coach Alexandre Guimaraes. Placed second on the points table with eight points from five matches, they will look to move to displace North East United FC from the top.
"We played a very good match. These kind of games are good for the health of the league," said the Costa Rican coach when asked if he was disappointed that his side surrendered a two-goal advantage twice against Delhi.
The coach confirmed that marquee player Diego Forlan will return to action after missing the last three games but there was no word yet on Anwar Ali and Leo Costa, both of who were injured in the last game.
The side will continue to miss key striker Sunil Chhetri who played a stellar role in I-league club Bengaluru FC's historic entry into the AFC Cup final last night.
"FC Goa don't deserve the results that they have right now. They have played courageous, brave, attacking football and this is what I am expecting tomorrow. This is the way FC Goa qualified during the first season and made it to the final last year. We have to be cautious," said Guimaraes.
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