Super Cup 2025: Goa knocks Punjab out with 2-1 win in quarters, will meet Mohun Bagan in semifinal

Super Cup 2025: Goa knocks Punjab out with 2-1 win in quarters, will meet Mohun Bagan in semifinal

Two late goals helped FC Goa (FCG) complete a 2-1 comeback against Punjab FC (PFC) in their Super Cup 2025 quarterfinal clash at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday.

Ezequiel Vidal scored for PFC, while Borja Herrera and Mohammad Yasir scored in the closing stages of the game to send the Gaurs through to the semis.

With the grass slightly damp after a short spell of rain, both teams struggled to find their footing in the opening minutes of the tie, with the ball skidding off the pitch.

PFC had the first attempt on target when Nikhil Prabhu came dashing into the box to meet Vidal’s corner from the right.

The midfielder did just enough to head the ball towards goal, but FCG goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari produced a stunning reaction save to his right to keep the score level.

Two minutes later, Muhammad Suhail F. used his pace to race down the right wing to try and catch FCG on the counter.

A couple of step-overs allowed the 18-year-old to send Sandesh Jhingan the wrong way and deliver a teasing low cross into the middle that had no takers, much to the frustration of head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis on the sidelines.

At the other end, FCG got its first clear sight of goal when Dejan Drazic intercepted the ball in the middle of the pitch before picking out Borjawith a floating cross into the box.

The Spaniard hit the ball first-time on the turn, but PFC’s goalkeeper Muheet Shabir did well to come off his line and get his left hand on the ball.

As the game progressed, both teams settled into their game plans. PFC kept trying to catch FCG’s high backline on the counter while its opponent relied on the services of its central midfielders, Ayush Chhetri and Norja, to play short passes through the middle before setting up their forwards.

FCG came all guns blazing after the restart, with half-time substitute Sahil Tavora forcing the opposition’s goalkeeper to stretch and push away his powerful shot from outside the box.

However, it was PFC that took the lead in the 57th minute, thanks to Suhail’s run along the right side of the box. Once again, he brought out stepovers before launching a shot with his left foot, which beat the ‘keeper and struck the left post.

The FCG defenders did not clear the ball away from danger, and the rebound fell to Vidal inside the box, whose left foot buried the ball into the bottom-right corner.

FCG’s Carl McHugh almost levelled it up in the 73rd minute after reaching Boris Singh Thangjam’s cross into the box, but failed to keep his header on target.

With just one minute of regulation time left, FCG found the equaliser off a brilliant Borja strike.

Substitute Brison Fernandes’ cross from the right was not properly cleared away by the PFC, and it reached the Spaniard, who controlled the ball with his chest before placing it into the bottom-left corner.

Defensive frailty was at the root of the winner when the ball, after a poor clearance by PFC in the second minute of added time, fell to substitute Yasir inside the box, whose snapshot attempt kissed the net after a deflection off Ivan Novoselec.

Things went from bad to worse for PFC when defender Pramveer was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for a harsh challenge on Drazic in the dying minutes of the match.

FCG now awaits a young Mohun Bagan Super Giant side in the semifinal, which beat Kerala Blasters 2-1 earlier in the day.