ISL 2022-23: Odisha FC 1-0 Bengaluru FC | Nandhakumar's first-half strike ruins Bengaluru FC's evening
Odisha FC stunned Bengaluru FC when the two sides squared off for the first match of Matchweek 4 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season. The two sides crossed paths at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar for this encounter.
Simon Grayson fielded a slightly different side after facing defeat at the hands of Hyderabad FC last time. Brazilian central defender Alan Costa was left on the bench for this encounter. Sandesh Jhingan and Aleksandar Jovanovic formed a partnership at the heart of the defense, with Namgyal Bhutia and Naorem Roshan Singh flanking the duo.
The match started with both sides having their share of brilliance in the opposition's half. However, as the match progressed, Odisha FC seemed to outplay their opponents in every department.
Josep Gombau's side were hungry for the ball and closed the opposition as soon as they lost the ball. Bengaluru FC's Leon Augustine, who looked impressive in the opening exchanges, was soon under the watchful eye of Sahil Panwar.
Odisha FC's front three comprised Diego Mauricio, flanked by Nandhakumar Sekar and Jerry Mawihmingthanga, ran riot in the final third. Jerry almost broke the deadlock as early as the first minute after the front three combined to open up space for the winger. Jerry's shot was parried away by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Bengaluru FC's Roy Krishna had two chances to open his account in this edition of the ISL. However, Amrinder Singh made himself look big, putting an end to the threat possessed by the Blues forward.
Sivasakthi Narayanan too had his chance. This was due to a poor back pass from Saul Crespo towards Amrinder. However, the former ATK Mohun Bagan custodian dealt with the danger.
The best chance of the match came in the 33rd minute. An Odisha FC corner was not cleared properly and the ball fell to Nandhakumar, who was lurking outside the box. The Juggernauts winger took a touch to his right and blasted the ball into the net, amidst a crowd of defenders.
The start of the second half was pretty similar to the first. Both teams took their time to settle in and did not commit themselves forward aggressively. However, there were a series of physical battles in the center of the pitch.
One of Odisha FC's midfielders, Saul Crespo, was probably at his best against Grayson's side. The Spanish defensive midfielder covered a lot of ground and kept Krishna at bay for most of the game.
Bengaluru FC needed height inside the opposition box as the side adopted a more direct approach as the second half progressed. Surprisingly, Bruno Ramires was taken off and replaced by Costa, who was deployed as a forward for the remainder of the game. However, Gombau's men held onto their slender lead in the hopes of securing all three points.
As the referee blew the final whistle, the scoreboard was left unimpacted after Nandhakumar's first-half strike, making it a second straight home win for Odisha FC.
Bengaluru FC's lack of imagination and creativity became a talking point after their loss against Odisha FC
Bengaluru FC were dependent on Leon Augustine, Roy Krishna and Naorem Roshan Singh to make something of the game. However, Odisha FC's defensive transitions were on point and allowed the Blues very little space to be creative. Very few chances were created in the final third by Grayson's side.
The lack of aerial ability was also another point that haunted Bengaluru FC. Odisha FC's defensive duo Osama Malik and Carlos Delgado had very little trouble against the opposition forwards and managed to clear almost every long ball.