Goa: Mariners have created history by recording the best ever start (after five matches) to an ISL season with five successive victories in this campaign. However, Sergio Lobera will bring with them fresh memories of a forgettable 5-2 loss that Juan Ferrando’s team succumbed to against the Juggernauts at this venue in their AFC Cup encounter last week.
That result was a massive aberration in what otherwise has been an impeccable season for Mohun Bagan Super Giant so far. Powered by a strong squad comprising several India internationals, Ferrando has a prospective title-winning unit at his disposal. What can fuel the fire for his men is a much-needed response against Odisha FC, a team that doesn’t look like putting a foot wrong anytime soon.
With proven ISL winners, promising young talents and the tactical nous of Lobera with them, Odisha FC are gradually emerging as one of the sides to keep close tabs on this year. They have tremendous offensive quality to trouble the opponents on their day, but the Juggernauts layer it with smart manoeuvring on both ends of the pitch to sneak in timely wins whenever needed as well.
For instance, Lobera started Roy Krishna over Diego Mauricio, who thrives playing against Jamshedpur FC, in their last fixture against the Red Miners. The result? Krishna scored the 56th minute winner to get Odisha FC the three points.
What’s at stake?
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
The Mariners have assembled a star studded squad with high ambitions on both the domestic and continental fronts. Whilst the latter might be a challenging affair, they would not want to slip up in the former at any cost. Ferrando insisted that he wanted a formidable fight back from his boys against Hyderabad FC over the weekend after a dismal defeat to Odisha FC.
However, what would really get this squad going and reinvigorate their spirits is a sense of urgency and ruthlessness when they square off against the Juggernauts. There is undoubted quality within their playing XI and on the bench to triumph over Odisha, but the home side will be eyeing a statement victory more than anything else on Wednesday.
Odisha FC
The Juggernauts are on a winning juggernaut at the moment, with five straight wins including three in the ISL and two in the AFC Cup. Lobera has his men who have tasted ISL success before, like Ahmed Jahouh, Krishna, Amrinder Singh, Mourtada Fall, etc, and blending them with some incredible emerging prospects has resulted in the team finding the perfect balance to overcome obstacles coming their way.
The AFC Cup win against the Mariners handed them the impetus that can propel the campaign to greater heights, and Lobera will be eager to double upon that to clarify that Odisha FC are one of the contenders for the top prizes this season. A win from here will take them just a point behind the second-placed Kerala Blasters (17), that too with a game in hand as compared to the Tuskers.