Preview: Odisha FC eye maiden win over ATK Mohun Bagan

Both teams are aiming a top-of-the-table finish at the end of the league season.

Odisha FC will be eager to get back to winning ways immediately after the setback they faced at the hands of FC Goa at Fatorda last week. The Juggernauts are playing at home this week. It is thus expected that coming back home at the Kalinga Stadium will give them an added impetus to outperform ATK Mohun Bagan and earn the much-needed three points.

On the other hand, ATK Mohun Bagan are coming into the game on the back of three consecutive wins. In their last game, the team earned a hard-fought win over Jamshedpur FC at home. Going into Thursday's game, the primary objective of Juan Ferrnado's men would be to continue their good form and look for their fourth successive win. However, it would not be an easy task to get points from Odisha at Bhubaneswar as the Kalinga Warriors are yet to lose a game at home.

In light of these, let us take a look at what the encounter has to offer.

The Stakes

Odisha FC

Odisha FC suffered a crushing loss against FC Goa in their last game at Fatorda after three back-to-back wins. The side lost the match by a margin of 3-0. Hence, the Juggernauts will eye getting back to winning ways right away against ATK Mohun Bagan on Thursday, especially because they will be playing at their home. A win has the potential to set the motion on the right path after their quest for the top spot took a small detour after being punished at Goa. Thus, Thursday's game against another table-topper contender is of paramount importance for the club going forward.

In addition to the current league situation, Odisha FC has never defeated ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL. They will like to change their fortunes this time around.

Odisha FC is currently placed in fifth place on the points table with 18 points from nine games. A win will take them to 21 points and level them with second-placed Mumbai City.

ATK Mohun Bagan

ATK Mohun Bagan will be keen to continue their good run of football and get their fourth consecutive win. The Kolkata Giants are strong contenders for being the table-toppers at the end of the season. Hence, getting three points is essential for the Mariners to keep their pursuit of playing the AFC Champions League next year. The win is considered important since the other team has the same target.

ATK Mohun Bagan is ahead of Odisha FC by a solitary point as they have 19 points from nine games. Currently, they sit in the third position on the points table. A win will elevate them to the top of the table and level with table toppers Hyderabad FC, who have 22 points.

Injury & Team News

For Odisha FC, Michael Soosairaj and Shubham Sarangi are out for long-term injuries. Raynier Fernandes might also not start, but may come on as a substitute. Vital cog Nandhakumar Sekar will miss the game as he saw a red card in the previous outing.

ATK Mohun Bagan meanwhile, have quite a number of injuries. Key figures like Joni Kauko (out for the season) and Manvir Singh will be missed by the fans. Even Florentin Pogba underwent a surgery last Wednesday. However, one positive will that be of Brendan Hamill returning to the matchday squad after serving a one-game suspension.

Head-to-Head

To date, Odisha FC and ATK Mohun Bagan have met four times in the ISL.

Played - 4

Odisha FC - 0

ATK Mohun Bagan - 2

Drawn - 2

Predicted Line-ups

Odisha FC XI (4-3-3)

Amrinder Singh (GK); Narender Gahlot, Nikhil Prabhu, Carlos Delgado, Sahil Panwar; Isaac Vanmalsawma, Saul Crespo, Thoiba Singh; Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Pedro Martin, Diego Mauricio

NorthEast United (4-3-3)

Vishal Kaith (GK); Asish Rai, Pritam Kotal, Brendan Hamill, Subhasish Bose; Deepak Tangri, Hugo Boumous, Carl McHugh; Ashique Kuruniyan, Dimitri Petratos, Liston Colaco

Player to Watch

Jerry Mawihmingthanga (Odisha FC)

With Nandhakumar absent from the game due to suspension, there will be an increasing interest in Jerry's performance. Even in their last game in which the side lost heavily, Jerry looked good on the right flank, especially in the first half. Jerry has already scored three goals in the competition. He would like to add to his tally to equal or surpass Nandha, who has four goals.

After missing out on scoring in the previous match, Jerry will eye the back of the net against the Mariners. ATK Mohun Bagan defenders will therefore, need to keep him under check to keep their goal safe.

Hugo Boumous (ATK Mohun Bagan)

The French-Moroccan has been in excellent form for ATK Mohun Bagan in the last few games. He has played a leading role in the current good run of his club. So far, in nine games, Hugo Boumous has scored thrice and made three assists.

He is looking threatening in every game and combines well with Dimitri Petratos to create problems for opposition defenders. The game will become highly problematic for the Juggernauts if they give Boumous the liberty to roam around freely.

Did You Know?

• Odisha FC have never defeated ATK Mohun Bagan to date in any ISL fixture.
• ATK Mohun Bagan won the first two games that these sides played. The last two games have been draws.
• Raynier Fernandes of Odisha FC started his career with Mohun Bagan in 2016 when the club used to play in the I-League.

Telecast

The match between Odisha FC and ATK Mohun Bagan will take place at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on December 15th (Thursday). The kick-off time is 7:30 pm IST. The game will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network. Disney+HotStar and JioTV will also telecast the match.