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In pursuit of their eighth victory in nine games, in-form Odisha FC will be on their travels to face East Bengal FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Friday.
While Odisha FC are under the spotlight, Carles Cuadrart’s East Bengal have shown improvement over the past few weeks. The Torchbearers boast a four-game unbeaten streak, highlighted by a resounding 5-0 victory over NorthEast United in Kolkata.
Despite the positive strides, East Bengal will hope to progress further, particularly in their attacking patterns. Nonetheless, three points against Odisha FC hold the potential to propel them to the sixth position in the standings.
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Consequently, Cuadrat believes that this game is significant in terms of securing a positive outcome.
"We have only two victories; we need victories. Our dream is to be in the playoffs. So we have to win (this game). We always want to take advantage of the love that our supporters give us. Playing at home, we have been getting a lot of better results than we were getting before the summer," he said in the pre-match press conference.
Odisha FC have emerged as the team to watch out for this season. Overcoming a lackluster start, the Juggernauts have displayed remarkable form in their recent outings, securing victories in seven of their last eight matches.
Their noteworthy achievements extend to being the sole Indian team to progress to the knockout stages in AFC competitions, and they've seamlessly carried that momentum into the ISL.
A victory against East Bengal would bring them on par with the league leaders, FC Goa and Kerala Blasters FC, in terms of points. Addressing the press ahead of the match, Sergio Lobera expressed confidence in his team's ability to sustain their winning run.
“I am very happy because the team is working well. We are in a positive moment in the ISL. We come back here to play again in this stadium. We have good memories here in the previous games. We are ready (for the upcoming match) and we know it’s a different game."
East Bengal FC vs Odisha FC: Telecast and live-streaming details
The ISL clash between East Bengal FC and Odisha FC will be broadcast live on Sports18 and VH1 in India. It can also be live-streamed on the JioCinema app on Friday, December 22 from 8:00 PM IST.
East Bengal FC vs Odisha FC: Predicted Lineup
East Bengal FC: Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Nishu Kumar, Lalchungnunga, Hijazi Maher, Mandar Rao Dessai, Saul Crespo, Souvik Chakrabarti, Borja Herrera, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nandhakumar Sekar, Cleiton Silva.
Odisha FC: Amrinder Singh (GK), Amey Ranawade, Mourtada Fall, Carlos Delgado, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Ahmed Jahouh, Lenny Rodrigues, Puitea, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Isak Vanlalruetfela, Roy Krishna.
East Bengal FC vs Odisha FC: Prediction
Considering their current form, Odisha FC will start as the clear favorites. Nonetheless, East Bengal have the quality to create challenges for Odisha's defense, which has occasionally shown vulnerabilities.
The Kolkata giants, however, must be effective in terms of decision-making to entertain any prospects of winning this game. In contrast, the Juggernauts will look to control the tempo of the game from the onset and pin back their opponents.
Prediction: East Bengal FC 1-2 Odisha FC
