ISL Knockout Preview: Semifinal spot up for grabs as Odisha host Kerala Blasters

Bhubaneswar: Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters FC will face each other in the first match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 playoffs at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday at 7.30 pm. Both these teams are heading into the knockouts with identical forms, losing thrice along with drawing and winning once each in their previous five games.

The Juggernauts finished fourth in the points table with 39 points, whereas Kerala Blasters FC ended up fifth with 33 points. This one-legged playoff fixture is important for both teams, with a win taking them straight into the ISL semi-finals, where the top two sides – Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant – await them. Both Sergio Lobera and Ivan Vukomanovic are seasoned tacticians, and they will be edging to set their teams up perfectly for the crucial 90 minutes lying ahead of them.

Odisha FC have emerged victorious only twice in their last seven games against Kerala Blasters FC, winning by 2-1 in their latest meeting. This is set to be the first game between the two sides in the playoffs history. However, the Lobera-coached team has lost both of their games coming into this match. They have conceded multiple goals in both these encounters. The last time they were defeated more times on a bounce was three matches in February 2021.

Odisha FC players strung together 258 sequences of 10+ open play passes in the current season, the most by any side during the league stage in competition history, surpassing a previous high of 239 by FC Goa in 2018-19. Interestingly, both these teams were helmed by Lobera, reflecting that the Spaniard can make his players buy into his strategy seamlessly over a reasonable period. The Juggernauts will want to adopt some of his lethal winning mentality as well to overcome the challenge fronted by the Yellow Army.

Kerala Blasters FC do not boast of the best of records against Odisha FC, having never won an away fixture against the Juggernauts. They have faced losses in each of their last two visits to the Kalinga Stadium too. Vukomanovic will want to take a look at his backline ahead of this match though, given that Kerala Blasters FC have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 games in the ISL, which is their longest such streak in the ISL.

It could very well be a match whose outcome would be determined by either free-kicks or corners. Kerala Blasters FC have conceded 39 per cent of their goals from set-pieces this season, whereas Odisha FC have netted 12 times from such situations. With the presence of Diego Mauricio and Roy Krishna looming large over the visitors, the Kerala Blasters FC backline will have to come up with unique ways to stop the striking duo in their tracks.