Bengaluru FC look to regain form against Odisha FC as both teams eye key ISL points

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 21 (ANI): Bengaluru FC will host Odisha FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Wednesday at 7:30 PM IST.
The Juggernauts are currently seventh on the table with 21 points from 16 games, while the Blues sit third with 28 points from the same number of matches. Odisha FC, coached by Sergio Lobera, has won once and drawn twice in their last five games. They will aim to register their first league double over Bengaluru FC following their 4-2 victory in the reverse fixture on December 1, 2024.
Bengaluru FC has struggled recently, losing their last home game 0-1 to Mohammedan SC on January 11, 2025, followed by a 1-1 draw against Hyderabad FC on the road. A loss in this match would mark their first back-to-back home defeats in over two years.
The Blues are looking to bounce back and stay in the race for the top spot, though they trail table-toppers Mohun Bagan Super Giant by eight points (36 vs. 28). Their recent form includes two defeats, two draws, and one win in their last five games. FC Goa has overtaken them for the second spot with 30 points.
Bengaluru FC has scored three goals and conceded four in their last three matches, earning just one point during this period. They need to improve their structure on both ends of the field, especially against Odisha FC, the league's joint top-scorers with 31 goals. Diego Mauricio (7), Jerry Mawihmingthanga (4), and Mourtada Fall (4) have been Odisha's key contributors this season.
Odisha FC has scored two goals in each of their last three ISL games. Another multi-goal performance would equal their longest streak of such games in the competition, previously achieved between December 2019 and January 2020. However, their defensive frailties have seen them concede nine goals in the same period, earning just one point.
Odisha FC has scored 96.8 per cent of their goals this season (30 out of 31) from inside the box. Bengaluru FC must reinforce their defensive efforts in the 18-yard area to restrict Odisha's attacking flow. The Blues, however, have conceded in each of their last 11 ISL matches. Failure to keep a clean sheet in this match would set a new record for their longest streak without one in ISL history. Despite this, Bengaluru FC has kept five clean sheets this season, the third-most in the league.
Offensively, Bengaluru FC has been efficient, scoring 29 goals from an expected goals (xG) tally of 17.15, achieving an xG differential of +11.85, the highest in the league. Sunil Chhetri leads the team with 10 goals, while Ryan Williams and Edgar Mendez have scored five and four goals, respectively.
The two teams have faced each other 11 times in ISL history, with Bengaluru FC winning five games and Odisha FC winning four. Two encounters ended in draws.
Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza expressed confidence in his team recovering their form at home.
"We are now going to play at home with our supporters. We lost our last game here but we haven't lost too many games here. With our mentality we want to take the three points," Zaragoza said, as quoted by the ISL press release.
Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera emphasized the need for balance. "Sometimes, we need to be more clinical in the last third. However, my concern right now is not scoring goals, but instead finding balance between attack and defence," Lobera said.
Odisha FC's Diego Mauricio, who has four goals in this fixture, will look to end his six-game goal drought. Meanwhile, Sunil Chhetri, who has also scored four goals in this matchup, has been in fine form, netting five goals in his last six games. Chhetri is one goal contribution away from equaling Roy Krishna's record of 84 in ISL history.
Odisha FC's Ahmed Jahouh is one assist away from becoming the second player to register 30 assists in ISL history. However, he has gone four games without an assist this season. Jahouh has four assists and a goal in 2024-25. (ANI)