ATK Mohun Bagan are looking to make it four wins in a row as they travel to Bhubaneshwar to face Odisha FC.
The three games winning run of the Juggernauts was broken by FC Goa last weekend in a 3-0 loss while the Kolkata giants edged out Jamshedpur FC with a late penalty conversion from Hugo Boumous in the last match.
OFC vs ATKMB Match Details
Date: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Time: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar
OFC vs ATKMB Match Preview
Odisha FC’s jubilant winning streak came to an unexpected halt in their third defeat of the season against FC Goa. The Juggernauts conceded three goals in the last 16 minutes of the game, failing to score for the third time this campaign as well. The loss puts them out of the top four places but with a five points difference from a non-playoff spot remaining. Coach Josep Gombau will be concerned about the way his team capitulated at the death despite restricting the Gaurs to only one shot on target before conceding. Odisha FC’s themselves had a fair share of attacking intent with three shots on target out of six attempted. Although, their defense is a worry with only one clean sheet registered out of nine games so far. Furthermore, the Juggernauts face a crunching fixture list before the end of the year with wins picking ATK Mohun Bagan to battle next before Kerala Blasters and free-scoring Mumbai City FC comes by. The game this week will be a hurdle as Odisha FC are yet to beat ATK Mohun Bagan in the four meetings so far in the ISL. Spoils were shared in the last two games but a 4-1 loss in February of last year continues to sting the home side. This will be the first meeting between the side at the Kalinga Stadium after the bio-bubble seasons and a place Odisha FC have not suffered a loss till now. Josep Gombau’s side have to take advantage otherwise fear sliding down further in the points chart.
Hugo Boumous came to the rescue for ATK Mohun Bagan again as his added time penalty made the difference against Jamshedpur FC at the Saltlake Stadium. Juan Ferrando’s side stands now just three points off the top spot with three 1-0 wins on the spin. Another win will rightly put them in a three-horse race with Mumbai City and table holders Hyderabad FC. While the results are productive, the performance is far from satisfying. Aside from the derby, ATK Mohun Bagan have not looked convincing in their display with wins scrapped out or relying on individual brilliance in moments of asking. In the last match, the Green and Maroons should have made life easier for themselves while facing a winless Jamshedpur FC but had to rely on a Peter Hartley red card for violent conduct inside the penalty area to get the points. They fail to produce more from their eight shorts on target and after holding more possession of the ball. The lack of scoring instinct is to blame for that as the team once again seems to struggle with an ineffective number nine. Dimitri Petratos is the top scorer for the club with four goals but he has been made to play various roles this campaign. Winning in this way is unstable and it will cause problems in the long run. For this clash though, ATK Mohun Bagan could rely on their unbeaten record against Odisha FC to grab a fourth consecutive win in the league. Nothing will matter more than it for the Kolkata giants at present.
Recent Form
OFC: LWWWL
ATKMB: WWWLW
OFC vs ATKMB Team News
Star winger Nandha Kumar Sekar receive his second yellow card in the defeat against FC Goa so is unavailable for Odisha FC in this match. He will be a big miss as Victor Rodriguez is set to be inserted in the starting eleven to replace the 26-year-old. Michael Soosairaj and Shubham Sarangi are still injured so they are unlikely to resume action soon.
For ATKMB, Florentin Pogba underwent surgery last week for his injury and is in the process of recovering. He will miss out along with Tiri who is also recovering from the injury he picked up earlier this year. Coach Juan Ferrando will make a late decision on Manvir Singh’s availability for the game. The forward missed the two games played this month due to an injury. Midfielder Joni Kauko has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a rupture in the cruciate ligament. Center-back Brendan Hamill
OFC vs ATKMB Predicted Lineups
OFC: Amrinder Singh; Denechandra Meitei, Narender Gahlot, Carlos Delgado, Lalruatthara; Raynier Fernandes, Saul Crespo, Thoiba Moirangthem; Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Diego Mauricio, Victor Rodriguez
ATKMB: Vishal Kaith; Asish Rai, Pritam Kotal, Carl McHugh, Subhasish Bose; Deepak Tangri, Hugo Boumous, Lenny Rodrigues; Liston Colaco, Dimitri Petratos, Ashique Kuruniyan
OFC vs ATKMB Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Kaith (8)
DEF: Asish (8.5), Kotal (8), Delgado (9), Bose (9)
MID: Boumous (9), Crespo (8), Kuruniyan (8.5)
FW: Jerry (8.5), Petratos (9), Mauricio (9)
Vice-captain: Dimitri Petratos
Captain: Hugo Boumous
Stay tuned to Fantasy Football for upcoming matches.
