FC Goa advanced to the quarter-finals of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 with a dominant 3-0 win over Gokulam Kerala FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Iker Guarrotxena’s brilliant hat-trick secured the victory for his team.

Guarrotxena Opens the Scoring

The match kicked off with an early breakthrough for FC Goa in the 22nd minute. Dejan Drazic made a powerful run from midfield and was brought down inside the Gokulam box. As a result, FC Goa earned a penalty. Guarrotxena stepped up and calmly converted, sending the ball straight down the middle to give his team the lead.

Guarrotxena Doubles the Advantage

Thirteen minutes later, FC Goa doubled their lead. Aakash Sangwan made a well-timed overlapping run down the left flank. He delivered a perfect cross into the box, and Guarrotxena volleyed the ball home past the diving goalkeeper.

Hat-Trick Seals the Victory

In the 71st minute, Guarrotxena completed his hat-trick. Jay Gupta made a precise low cross to Udanta Singh on the right side of the box. Singh then selflessly passed the ball to Guarrotxena, who slotted it in from close range. With this goal, Guarrotxena now has 23 goals in 45 appearances for FC Goa, becoming the third-highest scorer in the club’s history.

Defensive Strength Preserves Clean Sheet

On the defensive end, goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari, along with defenders Odei Onaindia and Sandesh Jhingan, stood firm. Tiwari made several key saves in the dying minutes to secure his eighth clean sheet of the season.

FC Goa Moves to the Quarter-Finals

With this commanding 3-0 win, FC Goa has secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the Kalinga Super Cup.