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After starting off the ongoing Indian Super League season on a brilliant note, with three wins from the first four games, Odisha FC is suddenly in a different situation. Currently, in the bottom half of the points table, the Kalinga Warriors have 10 points from seven games with three wins, one draw and three defeats to their name so far.
On the other hand, Hyderabad FC is ahead by just two points and they also have three wins to their name from as many games. However, they have lost just one game so far in the competition which had come in their season opener against Chennaiyin FC more than a month ago. Hyderabad FC’s last game against SC East Bengal had ended in a 1-1 draw and the result was no different for the Juggernauts.
Coach Kiko and his boys must have taken a lot of positives from their last game against FC Goa in which they played some really top-quality football in the last 45 minutes after trailing by one goal towards the end of the first half. Kamaljit Singh has been the best performer for Odisha FC among the Indian players as the custodian carried on his good form in the previous game as well making some tough saves under the bars.
Jonathas De Jesus had scored the only goal in the last game and foreigners like Javi Hernandez, Hector Rodas, Aridai Cabrera and Liridon Krasniqi have continued to impress. Coach Kiko would like to see his young Indian brigade to come to the party as well and we have already seen goals from Nikhil Raj and Isaka Ralte in this tournament so far.
“No, we are really happy with the performance of the team today, we thought that we deserved to win the match. We are still building the team, as we’re the youngest squad in the league. We need to follow the process, we are still making the players play together properly,” the Odisha FC gaffer had said after the last game against the Gaurs.
Speaking about the upcoming game, he had expressed, “For us, no Christmas this year, we will be working for the next month. Our families couldn’t come because of the 15-day quarantine rule. So, we will focus on the work.”
Odisha FC had won both the games in the first edition when the two teams made their ISL debut and last year, Hyderabad FC had won the opening game while the second game had ended in a draw. It promises to be a mouth-watering encounter and the two teams are all set to show their prowess when they will meet in Bambolim on Tuesday.
