The upcoming match is quite noteworthy to many names in the Odisha roster as well. Head coach Sergio Lobera was once at the helm of FC Goa, leading them to success in the Super Cup in the 2018-19 season and the ISL Shield the following year. Former Gaurs Ahmed Jahouh, Mourtada Fall, Amey Ranawade, Lenny Rodriguez and Princeton Rebello will return to what was once their backyard, as they show up at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
Key PlayersMadih Talal (Punjab FC)It’s difficult to look beyond the 26-year-old French attacking midfielder after he single-handedly pioneered Punjab FC to victory in the previous match. Madih Talal was the star of the show against Chennaiyin FC, and he will have to be the star of many such shows moving forward for his team to see similar successes in the second half of the season. In 11 appearances, Talal has one goal and two assists to his name.
Dropping points just deepens them in the mid-table muddle and the Juggernauts should aim to get above these setbacks and contend for the top spot in the second half of the campaign. The last match should be taken as an aberration for Odisha FC, who managed to shoot on target only once in the Salt Lake Stadium. What’s at stake? Punjab FCPunjab FC will be gearing up nicely for their first-ever ISL encounter against Odisha FC, but a deterring record must be troubling them, which is the fact that they haven’t won in their maiden encounter against any team this season. Even their victory against Chennaiyin FC came during their second faceoff against the Owen Coyle-coached team. It is likely that they might be better off taking learning from each opposition, given that every side might be an unknown commodity for them at the moment.
Despite the strength of their offensive unit, Odisha FC did not really fire from all cylinders in the match against East Bengal FC. Such minor slip ups can be costly for their overall ambitions for the season, and hence Lobera should be looking to get his men back on track from the forthcoming fixture onwards.
The centre-back duo of Mourtada Fall and Carlos Delgado has been at the top of the game throughout, with the former chipping in with crucial goals, helping them maximise set-piece situations from time to time. The midfield has blended creativity with a sense of solidity that ensures that both the objectives are fulfilled, whereas the frontline headed by the experienced duo of Roy Krishna and Diego Mauricio instil significant confidence amongst the players. To cap it all off, they have a seasoned goalkeeper in Amrinder Singh, who has become the custodian to keep the most clean sheets (42) in ISL history.
Talal’s winner in the previous game testified that, as he blazed into the box and fired one past Debjit Majumder on the near post to get his side the three points. Will this be an insight that Punjab FC intends to work upon in this match? Let’s wait and watch. Odisha FCOdisha FC have kept four clean sheets in their last five games, including a couple in the last two games on a bounce. Never before in the ISL have the Juggernauts not conceded a goal in three consecutive matches. However, a disciplined defensive unit is the base or the foundation upon which the success of any Lobera-coached side is built.
Starting off afresh in the top-tier was never going to be easy, but five draws in 11 games suggest that they have matched their more fancied oppositions many times over the last few months. Also Read: Their defensive solidity, coupled with Talal’s sharp creativity and goal-scoring instinct propelled their success against the Marina Machans, and Punjab FC will be eager to hold tight to those strengths against Sergio Lobera’s men. Odisha FC are fifth in the table and a draw against the Red & Gold Brigade must have raised some questions within the camp given that they would have backed themselves to take three points from that fixture.
Punjab FC vs Odisha FC live score, H2H and lineups Punjab FC Odisha FC live score (and video online live stream) starts on 26 Dec 2023 at 14:30 UTC time in Super League, India.
Upbeat Punjab FC look to breach difficult Odisha FC backlinePunjab FC will look to ride on the highs of their maiden Indian Super League (ISL) victory last week as they prepare to host Odisha FC on December 26, Tuesday, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi to commence the 12th matchweek of the season.
Upbeat Punjab FC look to breach difficult Odisha FC backline 7 hours ago — The centre-back duo of Mourtada Fall and Carlos Delgado has been at the top of the game throughout, with the former chipping in with crucial ...
Punjab FC The #Shers are all set to take on Odisha FC for the final match of the year #PFCOFC #PunjabDaJosh #PFC.
