Odisha FC coach expects to win their next ISL encounter against SC East Bengal
Odisha FC will lock horns with SC East Bengal for a second time in ISL 2021-22 on Monday. The previous meeting between the two sides saw a 10-goal thriller that eventually ended in favor of the Juggernauts by a 6-4 margin.
The club's coaching staff weren't pleased with the result and cited defensive lapses as the primary cause for it. The Juggernauts are currently sitting outside the play-off position and will need to win all of their remaining matches to get a chance of getting into the top four.
Odisha FC interim head coach Kino Garcia and goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh addressed the media ahead of their ISL clash against SC East Bengal. Garcia made it clear that he has set his sights on winning their next couple of games.
"My expectation is to win the next match and then win the following one," he said. "The team will have to play some of the teams who are already in the play-off positions but for me, now we should only focus on the next game."
Garcia also opened up about Jonathas Cristian's status and the impact he has had in previous games. The Spaniard believes the striker could be a weapon for the Kalinga Warriors in the final third. Now that Cristian is fit, Garcia is confident that he will be able to adapt to the demands of the competition.
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Odisha FC want to avoid repetition of previous results against SC East Bengal
Garcia also clearly stated what he seeks of his ISL team in their next match, bearing in mind the history between the two sides.
"If I could decide, I would prefer to win 1-0," he said. "But the most important thing is that the team should be able to perform and win the game."
The interim head coach felt his side were able to capitalize on the chances created by them and were clinical in front of goal in their last face-off.
The same situation arose in their most recent fixture against FC Goa but this time Odisha FC failed to do it, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.