East Bengal FC will be looking to extend their newfound form when they take on Odisha FC on Thursday in the 12th match week of Indian Super League 11 at home, the Salt Lake Stadium.
After six straight defeats from the start, the East Bengal team under new coach Oscar Bruzon gained momentum and remained undefeated in the last three matches.
The team picked up its first point in the seventh match, drawing with city rivals Mohammedan Sporting, and then won the next two matches – against NorthEast United (1-0 home) and Chennaiyin FC (2-0 away) – to continue its resurgence.
East Bengal, currently 11th in the 13-team league table with seven points from nine matches, will face one of their toughest opponents in Odisha FC, who are looking to pick up a third straight win.
This will be an unprecedented feat for the red and gold brigade, who have always finished low in the bottom half since joining the ISL in 2020. Odisha FC, currently fifth in the table (16 from 11), remain unbeaten in their last four matches, registering two convincing wins and as many draws.
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The Juggernauts, led by Sergio Lobera, will be looking to pick up more points as they try to climb up the table before the tournament reaches the halfway point.
Odisha FC’s strength can be gauged from the fact that they have scored 23 goals so far, which is the most the team has managed to score after 11 games in the season. He hit the target every 43 minutes, which is the fastest result of any team this season.
Brazilian striker Diego Mauricio and Senegalese defender Mourtada Fall lead Odisha’s goalscoring table with seven and four goals respectively. This will give Lobera hope that his team will regain winning touch after a goalless draw against Mumbai City in the previous match.
“East Bengal FC is a very competitive team. They are working well and improving not only in terms of football but also in terms of mental motivation. It will be a very difficult match,” said Lobera, looking at the current form of his next opponent.
What may worry Lobera is East Bengal FC’s recent improvement in defensive strength. This will be a factor that will be put to the test in this match as Odisha FC try to get their fifth win in the tournament. East Bengal coach Bruzon said that the team’s current form is admirable but the team still needs to work a lot to achieve their goal of qualifying for the knockout stages.
“The players are positive. We don’t miss many chances. We are a team that has a good series of results. However, we are still far from where we would like to be in the league table,” Bruzon said.
