Odisha FC Eye to Grab Playoff Position Against Hyderabad FC
The Kalinga Warriors remain alive in the race for the playoffs and will host Hyderabad FC in a crucial Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 encounter at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 14th February 2025, Friday. The match will kick off at 7:30 PM IST.
The Kalinga Warriors come into the fixture after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Punjab FC after going a man down. For Sergio Lobera's team, their playoff hopes depend on winning the remaining four matches. Currently, the team is in 7th place with 26 points.
Earlier this season, Odisha FC made history with a 6-0 win over Hyderabad FC, a result that also gave them their first clean sheet of the campaign. Hyderabad, on the other hand, started the season slowly but are coming into this game with renewed confidence after a 3-1 win over Mohammedan SC. They are in 12th place in the league table with 16 points.
Ahead of the game, Odisha FC held a pre-match press conference with head coach Sergio Lobera and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh.
When asked about the team’s playoff chances and whether they should take more risks, Lobera responded: “Obviously every game is like a final for us. Tomorrow is the first one. But I believe, I hope we can get the playoffs, and in the remaining four games we can give everything. It's not easy, we are in a not easy situation. But my feelings with the team, with the squad, with the players, I have amazing professionals and amazing players. They showed in the last game they are believers. Finally, when you are working with this kind of people, you need to be positive, you need to be confident. Even if it's not easy, my feeling is we are going to get the playoffs and tomorrow is the first final for us.”
Lobera also emphasized the importance of focusing on the next game: “I think the most important thing now is to put the focus in the next one. If we are thinking about where we are going to be in one month, it's a mistake. The focus needs to be on the next game. It will be a difficult one, and if we think it will be easy, it's a big mistake. Hyderabad has shown their potential against strong teams, and it’s crucial to get these three points.”
Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh shared his thoughts on the season: “Of course, it’s not easy to keep a clean sheet. Last season, we started really well and kept 9 or 10 clean sheets. Our focus is always on attacking. We never talk about clean sheets in the dressing room, we’re more concerned about how to score goals. If we keep a clean sheet, it’s always good for us and the team. But our focus now is on winning the next four games.”
On leading the team as captain, Amrinder added: “I always try to communicate with the players, especially when things go wrong. If someone makes a mistake, I try to cheer them up and keep their confidence high because a single mistake doesn’t define a match. We need to stay calm and keep pushing.”
Match Details:
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC
14th Feb 2025 | Friday | 7:30 PM | Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
Live on JioHotstar, Star Sports-3
Odisha FC Eye to Grab Playoff Position Against Hyderabad FC
The Kalinga Warriors remain alive in the race for the playoffs and will host Hyderabad FC in a crucial Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 encounter at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 14th February 2025, Friday. The match will kick off at 7:30 PM IST.
The Kalinga Warriors come into the fixture after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Punjab FC after going a man down. For Sergio Lobera's team, their playoff hopes depend on winning the remaining four matches. Currently, the team is in 7th place with 26 points.
Earlier this season, Odisha FC made history with a 6-0 win over Hyderabad FC, a result that also gave them their first clean sheet of the campaign. Hyderabad, on the other hand, started the season slowly but are coming into this game with renewed confidence after a 3-1 win over Mohammedan SC. They are in 12th place in the league table with 16 points.
Ahead of the game, Odisha FC held a pre-match press conference with head coach Sergio Lobera and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh.
When asked about the team’s playoff chances and whether they should take more risks, Lobera responded: “Obviously every game is like a final for us. Tomorrow is the first one. But I believe, I hope we can get the playoffs, and in the remaining four games we can give everything. It's not easy, we are in a not easy situation. But my feelings with the team, with the squad, with the players, I have amazing professionals and amazing players. They showed in the last game they are believers. Finally, when you are working with this kind of people, you need to be positive, you need to be confident. Even if it's not easy, my feeling is we are going to get the playoffs and tomorrow is the first final for us.”
Lobera also emphasized the importance of focusing on the next game: “I think the most important thing now is to put the focus in the next one. If we are thinking about where we are going to be in one month, it's a mistake. The focus needs to be on the next game. It will be a difficult one, and if we think it will be easy, it's a big mistake. Hyderabad has shown their potential against strong teams, and it’s crucial to get these three points.”
Goalkeeper Amrinder Singh shared his thoughts on the season: “Of course, it’s not easy to keep a clean sheet. Last season, we started really well and kept 9 or 10 clean sheets. Our focus is always on attacking. We never talk about clean sheets in the dressing room, we’re more concerned about how to score goals. If we keep a clean sheet, it’s always good for us and the team. But our focus now is on winning the next four games.”
On leading the team as captain, Amrinder added: “I always try to communicate with the players, especially when things go wrong. If someone makes a mistake, I try to cheer them up and keep their confidence high because a single mistake doesn’t define a match. We need to stay calm and keep pushing.”
Match Details:
Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC
14th Feb 2025 | Friday | 7:30 PM | Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
Live on JioHotstar, Star Sports-3
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