Odisha FC's Sergio Lobera calls for 'clinical approach' ahead of East Bengal clash

Odisha FC are keen to prove themselves against East Bengal FC.

Odisha FC coach Sergio Lobera knows the stakes ahead of their upcoming clash against East Bengal FC at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday in the Indian Super League (ISL). 

The Kalinga Warriors currently sit 10th in the points table with four points from four matches this season. Lobera-led Odisha has struggled to close out games with just 1 win in 4 outings this season. 

Before their clash against East Bengal, coach Sergio Lobera sat down with the media to discuss the way ahead.  Here’s a sneak peek of what was discussed:

Three Points All That Matters 

Coming from 2-0 down to rescue a point in their last game against the Kerala Blasters FC, coach Sergio Lobera is keen to get all three points on Tuesday against East Bengal. 

Sergio Lobera said, “We are approaching the game as always. Three very important points. We know that for our fans it’s a special game against them, for us also. But there are three points and we are approaching the game as always.

“Putting the focus on the game, trying to do the best of ourselves and let’s see what happens. Because they are a very good team, they are a strong team. I think it’s not real, the situation they are living in the classification, in the table now. It will be a difficult game but we are confident.”

“We are playing at home and we need to try to continue working in the best ways possible at home. Hopefully, we can get three very important points for us,” Sergio Lobera added. 

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‘Balance’ – Odisha’s Key To Success

Sergio Lobera highlighted how the club have been in several close games this season, and ended up losing all three points. The Spaniard is hoping for a reversal of fortunes against East Bengal this time around. 

When asked about how Odisha can improve in upcoming games, Sergio Lobera replied, “Football is all about balance. It’s not about only putting the focus on attacking situations or in defence. We can improve in terms of numbers in defensive situations. Because we didn’t have clean sheets until now. But we also had clear chances to finish the game.”

He highlighted how Odisha has regretted missing key chances to score in past games against Chennaiyin FC, Punjab FC, and Kerala Blasters FC. While calling for clinical finishing in the final third, Sergio Lobera highlighted, “We need to try to keep clean sheets. We need to try not to concede chances to the opponent team. Against Jamshedpur, I think we did it.”

East Bengal’s threat 

The Spaniard was extremely complimentary of their upcoming opponents East Bengal, who themselves have had a tough start to the season.

The Red and Gold Brigade currently sit at the bottom of the ISL standings without a win. Incoming new coach Oscar Bruzon had a tough first outing against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan, which resulted in a 2-0 loss. 

However, Sergio Lobera is wary of the new manager bounce and is not taking them lightly. He opined, “The situation there is not a real situation. They spent a lot of money signing up very good players…I think they built a winning team. A very good team.

“And we need to be careful. Because if we are going to play the game looking to the table, it’s a big mistake. We need to know the potential of the opponent. They are a very, very good team.”

Sergio Lobera and his men are looking forward to the challenge of East Bengal FC, as they look to secure all three points at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday.

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