Sergio Lobera hunts 10th win against Kerala Blasters as Tuskers visit Odisha FC

Bhubaneswar, Oct 2 (PTI) Odisha FC would to look to build a winning momentum after their previous match success when they host Kerala Blasters FC in their Indian Super League outing here on Thursday.

OFC is coming after beating Jamshedpur FC 2-1, its opening win of the season, whereas Kerala settled for a 1-1 draw versus NorthEast United FC in Guwahati.

Odisha head coach Sergio Lobera has had a great outing against the Tuskers to date, winning nine out of his 11 match against the side, possessing a success rate of 82%.

As for Kerala, it has managed only a victory in their eight ISL meetings this year, having conceded goals in all of them, which will indeed be a matter of concern for their head coach Mikael Stahre.

Speaking ahead of the match, Lobera conveyed gratitude towards his side for braving through difficult moments.

“I am very happy because finally, we got three very important points. And, also the atmosphere on the ground, in the stadium is amazing,” he said.

“Every time more supporters come here, they are pushing us in difficult moments. I am happy for these people.”

Meanwhile, Stahre expressed confidence that his team is heading in the right direction. He said his team will play to its strengths in the upcoming games.

“I’m not happy, but I’m not extremely unhappy either. We can do much better. We are still solid and taking points,” he noted.

“It’s just the beginning, and I feel we will become better eventually. I think we are on the right track.”

The two sides have clashed against each other on 23 occasions in the tournament, with Kerala winning nine times, and Odisha prevailing in seven, while seven outings resulted in a draw.

The Blasters’ Noah Sadaoui has so far netted four goals versus the Juggernauts — his highest tally versus a single team in the ISL.

OFC’s duo of Roy Krishna and Diego Mauricio have both scored seven goals against the Tuskers — the joint-highest by any player versus the team.