FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez urges to show desire ahead of crucial ISL tie against East Bengal

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FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez wants his team to show the hunger to win as the Gaurs play a crucial ISL match against East Bengal on Wednesday (March 6).

After a string of winless matches, the Gaurs find themselves in a spot of bother and need a victory to keep their shield hopes alive. Ahead of their match against the Kolkata giants, Manolo Marquez believes victory is important to keep them in the hunt.

"Every game is a perfect moment to win if you lose the last match. We need to get onto the pitch tomorrow and show that we want three points," Marquez said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday (March 5).

"In the first leg, we won some games maybe we didn't deserve to win. But against Kerala and Mumbai, we must have come back with six points but only came back with one. We played good football but only for 45 minutes. The title race is still on and every team will finish in the position that they deserve. All is not done," he added.

He also says Brandon Fernandes is available to play in the match against East Bengal. The attacker suffered illness and was out of the last two matches, but Marquez says he may make a comeback against the Kolkata club. The FC Goa manager also confirmed that Leander D'Cunha is the only player who is not available for the upcoming match as the player is struggling with a toe problem.

There are a few card problems in the FC Goa team at the moment as four players, namely Noah Sadaoui, Nim Dorjee, Oder Onaindia, and Rowlin Borges are on three Yellow cards. Another caution against East Bengal will mean they won't be able to play in Goa's next ISL match, against Bengaluru FC.

But Marquez says it is a common issue for all clubs and they will have to manage that. The Spanish manager also believes there is no such advantage for any team in the ISL when they play a home match.

"I know Goa is stronger at home than away. But I don't believe in ISL, there is a difference between playing at home and away. In I League, there is a lot (difference)," Marquez concluded.