Odisha FC 0-1 Bengaluru FC: 3 Reasons why the defending champions won the game | ISL 2019-20

#2 Odisha fail to make the most of their possession

Vinit (R) was one of the few bright sparks for Odisha FC

Odisha started the game promisingly and looked keen to prize open a stubborn-looking Bengaluru FC. Through the first half, the hosts got in behind the visitors’ rear-guard on a few occasions, although the end-product went missing.

Once the teams re-emerged from the tunnel though, Josep Gombau’s troops enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, meaning that they controlled the tempo of the match. Yet, despite their territorial advantage, they failed to carve open Bengaluru requisitely, meaning that they fired their 3rd blank in their last four games.

On countless occasions, they pinged the ball across the pitch but weren’t able to find adequate space to cause any damage. Jerry and Nandhakumar failed to get goal-side of their markers whereas Aridane Santana was also deprived of service in the final third.

And, whenever they got into encouraging positions, they conspired to throw them away, thereby handing the visitors a boost in their quest to keep things tight at the back.

Moreover, Odisha were guilty of spurning a crucial gilt-edged opportunity when Diagne somehow struck the post from 3 yards with the goal gaping.

Throughout the early exchanges of the ISL, Odisha have cast themselves as a side capable of sticking to their footballing identity and troubling oppositions with their free-flowing style of football.

Yet, akin to what happened with the Delhi Dynamos last term, they’ve misfired spectacularly in the offensive third. And, if they are unable to rectify that aspect soon, their season could spiral downwards.

After all, one needs to supplement style with substance, especially in a competition like the ISL.