ISL 2022-23: Odisha FC faces NorthEast United hindrance for a playoffs stake
ISL 2022-23: Matchday 21 continues on Friday, as NorthEast United will be taking on Odisha FC at home. It would be a vital clash for the visitors, as it is their final chance to stay alive in the playoff race.
FollowOdisha FC (OFC) will face NorthEast United (NEUFC_ in a make-or-break encounter for their playoff hopes in the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Friday. OFC and FC Goa (FCG) are currently levelled on points, but the latter has the finer head-to-head narrative between the two.
It means that OFC cannot afford to drop points if it is to control its narrative. Last week, it cracked a four-contest winless streak versus defending champion Hyderabad FC (HFC). The triumph came at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, a fortress for it this season, where it has lost only once in nine fixtures.
However, for its next challenge versus NEUFC, OFC will be on the road to try and defy an away record that is the second-worst for a team this season. The Juggernauts have won only a couple out of nine away matches. They have lost four and drawn one of their last five away contests, with their previous away conquest coming in November versus East Bengal (EBFC).
Going up against such a record, head coach Josep Gombau will be relieved to have Narender Gahlot and Sahil Panwar back from abeyance. Diego Mauricio is expected to retain his spot after scoring his 11th goal last week. “We are fighting to be in the playoffs with two games remaining. It is a must-win game for us, and we cannot miss this opportunity if we want to stay alive in the playoff race. It will be a challenging game against a team that has improved significantly over the last few weeks. We know we want to get a result here, and we are working together to achieve this,” said Gombau.
NEUFC picked up its first away point of the season last week against EBFC in an enthralling 3-3 draw. Sitting at the bottom of the table with only five points, the Highlanders will be looking to end their season on a high as they overhaul ahead of the next. The tie versus OFC will be their last at home this season, and head coach Vincenzo Annese will try his best to give the home crowd something to cheer about.
Skipper Wilmar Gil will be back after serving his suspension, but Annese will be without midfielder Pragyan Gogoi and defender Mashoor Shereef for this meeting. Both players picked up their fourth season bookings in the previous tie. Pragyan’s brother, Parthib Gogoi, scored a beauty last week and will be in contention to start.
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“It is an important game because we are at a stage where all the players are performing well, and we need to finish our last home game with a good result. Both sides are coming into this game after positive results. I hope we can make a positive impact,” said Annese. In 17 previous ISL meetings between the two, OFC won seven times, while NEUFC won five times. The Juggernauts conquered the Highlanders 2-1 in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
