Josep Gombau: It is a big thing to come to Kerala for the players

The Spaniard also revealed that he wanted to play against a full fit Kerala Blasters side.

Ahead of his side’s fourth away game of the campaign against Kerala Blasters on Friday, Odisha FC head coach Josep Gombau spoke to the press regarding the match. While his team began their campaign with two consecutive defeats, Odisha FC managed to register their first win against Mumbai City FC. The Spaniard revealed that he is delighted with how his team have been faring so far, while also setting his eyes on earning the win against Kerala Blasters on Friday.

"The league just started. Three games for each team. I think we are playing quite well. First game, maybe because we have a lot of young players, we were a little bit nervous. The second one against NorthEast, I think we played very well. Last week in Mumbai, it was a very good game for our side and tomorrow we come here with confidence. We have prepared for the game well. We had enough time to prepare for the game and we come here to try and get the three points," Josep Gombau began.

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Thoughts On The Match

Friday will see Odisha FC, who shifted their base from Delhi to Bhubaneswar ahead of the season, play their fourth away game on the trot. While Josep Gombau would love to play at Odisha's home, he revealed that the side are looking forward to playing in front of a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

"Every team likes to play at home in front of their fans. For us, it is not possible now because we moved our home base and we went to Odisha. We are so happy there, lot of support from the government. The only problem is the field, the stadium is not ready," the tactician stated.

"For us, to come tomorrow to play here, I think is something nice. Every single player, every single coach wants to play in a fully-packed stadium. For us, coming here brings extra motivation to try to win away in front of all the fans," Josep Gombau said.

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"Already, what we spoke in the changing room with the boys is that we like to come to play here because the environment is very good. As a coach, for me and for the players, it is a big thing to come here and we come with a strong mentality," the Spaniard quipped.

On Taking Advantage Of Kerala's Frailties

Kerala Blasters have had a few injury concerns recently, with both Mario Arques and Gianni Zuiverloon ruled out of the game on Friday. While some coaches would love to take advantage of their opponents' weaknesses, Josep Gombau made it clear that he prefers to play a fully-fit side than one that have been weakened by injuries.

"First of all, tomorrow we play eleven against eleven. For me, I want to play against a team that have all the players. Unlucky for us that some players of them are injured," Josep Gombau opined.

"Tomorrow, we will be eleven against eleven. I'm sure that the players that will play tomorrow for Kerala, if they are here for something it's because they have the qualities to be here, to be in this team. I, for sure, know they will bring 100% or 120%," the Odisha FC head coach signed off.