Bengaluru, May 3 Bengaluru FC take on Odisha FC in their upcoming Indian Super League match at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Monday, as they look to begin the business end of this truncated campaign on a winning note.
The Blues head into the fixture on the back of a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Mumbai City FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, while the Juggernauts are yet to find their footing in the League, as they went down 0-3 to East Bengal FC, making it their fourth loss in the last five games.
Both teams have played each other 16 times in the ISL, out of which the game has ended in a draw only twice, and the remaining games have been an equal seven all split between the sides.
The visitors sit comfortably in sixth place with 15 points, while the hosts are down in 13th with 6 points, just 3 points above relegation-threatened side Mohammedan SC.
Odisha’s only win this season came against NorthEast United FC in Guwahati on March 20, a 1-4 victory that gave the TG Purushothaman side a glimmer of hope in a season as short as this, but since then, it has only gone downwards for the team from the East Coast.
Meanwhile, Blues’ head coach, Pep Muñoz, is still looking for his elusive first win in the ISL since taking over from Renedy Singh and will hope that this Monday could be the day he marks his stamp on the League.
“It's not going to be an easy game, but we’re focused and ready to give our all tomorrow," said Munoz at the Pre-Match Press Conference on Sunday.
Bengaluru has one of the best away records this season, with three wins and a draw to their name, and will look to build upon that this Monday as the Juggernauts await them at the PJN.
“I don’t think they (Odisha FC) are an unpredictable side. They have their tools to harm opponents, and we have done our homework on that. As a goalkeeper, I need to make sure that when we have the ball, we need to be aware of their (Odisha FC) offensive threats and, at the same time, be available to help the team in any way possible through communication," said Blues’ guardian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, when asked about how he could step in to help the team in their match against Odisha FC.
Bengaluru FC will be without two key players as Nikhil Poojary and Ashqiue Kuruniyan are set to miss the game with muscular injuries. Speaking on Poojary’s recovery, who limped off the field during the last game against Mumbai City FC, Pep said, “We’ll assess him week-on-week. He’s currently not training with the team and is only part of recovery sessions.”
However, Bengaluru FC will be banking on some exciting young talent on the bench who are set to get some game time tomorrow. “I come from Barcelona, and I am used to playing and training young, talented players. We’ve got some great talent in the Academy, not just in the First Team. Soham is good in games and ambitious as well, in the moments when he gets to be himself. But yes, we’ve got a lot of young talent in our team, and I’m very happy about it.”
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