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Bengaluru FC Head Coach Simon Grayson said his side were wary that their recent run of results will not be good enough in the long run ahead of their fourth encounter in the Indian Super League against Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The Blues, who began their campaign with a 1-0 win against NorthEast United, drew against Chennaiyin FC (1-1) and subsequently lost 1-0 to Hyderabad FC at the Gachibowli last weekend.
“I think we’re doing okay, but we’re well aware that ‘okay’ will not be good enough to help us get to where we want to in the long term. The Indian Super League is a different competition, with fans in the stands, the tempo of the game. I think defensively, we’ve been solid in all the three games and limited the teams to few opportunities. Offensively, I believe we can improve in terms of keeping the ball and creating chances,” Grayson said.
Odisha, who went down to Mumbai City FC in their opening fixture, have since bounced back with wins over Jamshedpur FC (3-2) and Kerala Blasters (2-1). The Josep Gombau-coached side sit in third place with six points, while the Blues are two points behind them in fifth place.
“I learned more about Odisha FC in their last three games than I did in the Durand Cup. One of the things that we’ve picked up about them is that they’re a good team with a lot of good players. The coach has transformed them from last year. We’re very respectful of them, and know what we need to do to limit them to few opportunities. But like any team, they’ll have some weaknesses that we need to exploit with the players in our team,” Grayson added.
Bengaluru most recently met the Juggernauts in the quarterfinal of the 2022 Durand Cup, where an extra-time winner from striker Roy Krishna sent the Blues through to the last-four. Grayson provided a positive update on the Fijian, who missed out on the trip to Hyderabad.
“We’ve suffered over the last few weeks with a few injuries, and again there will be a few players who are not fit, but Roy will be available for selection on Thursday night. Prince has been missing, and he’s a big player for us. It’s not easy, but the players who come into the squad have to perform in the place of those who aren’t there,” Grayson said.
Kick-off between the Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium is scheduled for 7.30pm on Thursday, and will be telecast live on the STAR Sports Network, Disney+Hotstar and JioTV.
