look news india
Bhubaneswar, 19 April (HS). Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters will meet in the first match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 playoff at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar this evening. Both these teams will enter the knockout match in poor form, both have lost three times in their last five matches and have been satisfied with one draw and one win.
Odisha finished fourth in the table with 39 points, while Kerala Blasters FC finished fifth with 33 points. This one-legged playoff match will be crucial for both the teams, with the winner of the match progressing straight to the semi-finals where the top two teams, i.e. Mohun Bagan Super Giants and Mumbai City FC, await. Sergio Lobera and Ivan Vukomanovic are both experienced tacticians, and they will be busy preparing their teams for the crucial 90 minutes ahead.
“If I analyze the entire season so far today, I am very happy,” Odisha FC's Spanish head coach Sergio Lobera said in the pre-match press conference on Thursday. We faced the strongest teams of India very well. We made it to the Super Cup final and although we lost, we fought till the end.”
Kerala Blasters FC's Serbian head coach Ivan Vukomanovic said before the match, “During the season we had to completely change the team due to surgeries of key players and other unexpected reasons. But the mentality is completely different in the knockouts because here you don't have to plan for the long term.”
Let us tell you that so far 22 matches have been played between the two teams, out of which Kerala Blasters FC has won 9 and Odisha FC has won 6, while 7 matches have been drawn.
