Margao: Having posted a victory against East Bengal in their opening encounter, Dempo will be looking to continue the winning momentum when they take on Sporting Clube de Goa in a Group A league encounter of the Hero Federation Cup, to be played at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda here on Thursday.
With three points to their credit, a win will see Dempo FC consolidate their position for a berth in the semi-finals.
On the other hand, handed a nasty blow by Mumbai FC in their last match, Sporting de Goa are in a must win situation if they want to advance to the semi-finals in the five-team group match that will see first two teams qualify for the knock-out round.
High on confidence after defeating East Bengal by a solitary goal, scored by in-form Romeo Fernandes, Dempo would once again rely on him along with Tolgay Ozbey.
Francis Fernandes and Mandar Rao Dessai, with their speedy run on the flanks, have made it difficult for their rivals. Come tomorrow, the opponents’ defense would be expecting a tough time. But Sporting would be keen to regroup and get back into the reckoning at the earliest. The two teams had met each other in the Goa’s Pro league this season, where the match ended in a draw. (PTI)