Heading into Friday night’s fixture against Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa find themselves in ninth place on the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 points table with 14 points from 13 matches. Although it is a worrying situation for the team and their fans, the Gaurs can still break into the top-four spots with seven games still remaining.

A win against a buoyant Jamshedpur would certainly rekindle hopes of a comeback down the home stretch and set the tone for the rest of the season. The last meeting between the two sides did not end well for Goa, so they may have some scores to settle as well.

On that note, we take a look at three stars who can create a positive impact for FC Goa against Jamshedpur FC.

1. Jorge Ortiz

The 29-year-old has been one of the best performers so far this season for FC Goa. In 11 appearances, Ortiz has clocked 889 minutes and has notched four goals and five assists. His recent form has also been great, as evidenced by his performance against Bengaluru FC a few days ago.

Against BFC, the Spaniard created two big chances, including the assist for Dylan Fox’s goal. Coach Derrick himself pointed out recently, that the team currently lacks the cutting edge when it comes to finishing chances and Ortiz is someone who can put an end to that problem on Friday, when the Gaurs face Jamshedpur FC.

JFC’s defence has gained fame this season for being very miserly when it comes to conceding goals. As of now, they have the third-best defensive record in the league. The likes of Peter Hartley, Eli Sabia and Narender Gahlot are some of their key players and if Ortiz can use his experience and abilities to get the better of them, FC Goa have good chances of winning.

He just needs to continue what he has been doing so far – scoring goals, and creating chances for the likes of Alberto Noguera, Devendra Murgaokar and others.

2. Edu Bedia

FC Goa’s longest-serving foreigner, Edu Bedia has been leading his team from the front. This is perhaps the Spaniard’s most underwhelming season with the Gaurs since his arrival in India, but he is not ready to give up and neither are his teammates.

The central midfielder does his work well in the middle of the pitch and likes to hold the ball and build the play. So far this season, he has completed 821 passes with an impressive accuracy of 83.43%.

With 3.36 tackles, 2.36 interceptions, 0.63 clearances and 1.00 blocks per game in 11 appearances in his ongoing campaign, one can also say that he has excelled in his defensive duties.

When the two sides met earlier this season, JFC beat FC Goa and that could bring about a certain wariness when the Gaurs face them again. But Edu has clearly seen similar situations before in his long career, and would definitely know how to restore confidence in his teammates.

3. Aibanbha Dohling

Coach Derrick has a host of options at centre-back in Anwar Ali, Dylan Fox, Ivan Gonzalez and Aibanbha Dohling to bolster his team’s defence. Among them, Aiban has really stood out with his performances in recent times.

Against Bengaluru FC, the man from Shillong won seven out of his 11 defensive challenges and successfully completed three tackles. He also recovered the ball nine times from BFC, after the Gaurs lost ball possession to them.

All in all, the 25-year-old became an important part of the draw, by tirelessly working to keep things clean at the back.

One of JFC’s biggest strengths is their attacking ability, spearheaded by Greg Stewart, Jordan Murray, Daniel Chima Chukwu and Ishan Pandita among others. Keeping them silent would be a big part of FC Goa’s plans on Friday – and Aiban’s form will be a key aspect in that case. Coach Derrick will surely hope that he can bring his A-game to the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on the D-day.