KOLKATA: With the wound of narrowly missing out on the Super Cup glory last Sunday still fresh, Odisha FC will look to leave behind the final defeat and come back to winning ways as they begin their Indian Super League (ISL) second leg sojourn at home on Friday.
Odisha were on a 15-game unbeaten streak (across ISL, AFC Cup & Super Cup) before that 2-3 loss to East Bengal, out of those they won a staggering 13 games. When they host Kerala Blasters at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha will be chasing nothing less than a victory. But up against a side who enjoyed top position on the league table going into the long break for Super Cup, the Kalinga Warriors will have their task cut out to let the juggernaut roll on once again.
With 24 points from 12 matches and currently positioned on the third spot, Odisha will take the field eyeing the top spot. Blasters have two more points from as many ties. Apart from attacking prowess both sides have shown remarkable defensive strength in the first leg.
“The final loss was painful. We missed an opportunity to win a trophy in front of our supporters. It wasn’t easy. It was very painful, but this is a part of football. If I had to see my players after the final, I couldn’t ask for more,” Odisha gaffer Sergio Lobera said ahead of their first game after the final loss to the red and golds. The Spanish coach praised his boys’ performance in the first half of the league despite facing injuries and obstacles.
Meanwhile, at the pre-match press conference Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic said, “Knowing the fact that we are facing one of the best teams in the league, who is in a very good shape, well-balanced, it’s the only team I’d say in the last period who were playing with consistency with the full squad. Super Cup was not meant for us at a time when we were missing many players due to injury and some players going to the national team.”
In their previous encounter earlier this season, Blasters staged a remarkable comeback to score twice in the second half on their way to secure a 2-1 win in Kochi.
