Jamshedpur and Odisha will conclude the match week-two with a double-header clash in Indian Football League. Odisha suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first game after the strike from their former player Santana, while Jamshedpur lost to Chennai 2-1.
Match Timings: Nov 29, 5 PM (IST)
Team Preview
After losing their first fixture in the opening week, Jamshedpur and Odisha are going head to head in Tilak Maidan to open their account in the table. Aridane Santana, the former Odisha played scored the winner through penalty to give Odisha a 1-0 loss. In 2019-20, the same side won 7 matches out of 18 and drawn four.
Stuart Baxter’s debut match as a manager came with a defeat. Odisha is yet to see the spark from former Newcastle player Steven Taylor and forward Marcelinho. Marcelinho had shown his experience with scoring two goals in the pre-season. Onwu also has a big responsibility after being retained for this season. He scored seven goals in the previous season in a mid-season transfer. Baxter can hand the cap to his former team player Cole Alexander who was signed for 2020-21.
Baxter also showed faith in Arshdeep Singh, who had a woeful season in 2019-20, and he kept only one clean sheet from nine matches. Baxter is known for the defensive approach, and Indian players had adapted Josep Gombau’s attacking approach, and in defense, Odisha lacks the most. Under Baxter, Odisha lost their pre-season matches to Mumbai and Chennai, so this match is also important for Baxter.
Meanwhile, Jamshedpur off to a disappointing start as Coyelo’s side lost to last season’s runner-up Chennai 2-1. Anirudh Thapa made the first strike in the opening minute, and Goncalves made the second strike through penalty to put Chennai two-goal ahead in the first 26 minutes. Jamshedpur managed to pull off a comeback, and Valskis scored a goal in the 37th minute, but they didn’t find an equaliser.
Coyelo’s first loss came against his former team Chennai and his ability to took Jamshedpur to maiden playoffs is in doubt. Last season, the Red Miners finished eighth with four wins and six draws from 18 matches, conceding 35 goals. Laldinliana Renthlei from Chennai and former A-League player Nicholas Fitzgerald along with Spanish forward David Grande are the best signings for Jamshedpur. Peter Hartley and Nigerian Stephen Eze as center-backs can offer some depth in the middle. The Golden Boot winner of last season, Nerijus Valskis, had much pressure to win this game for the Red Miners.
Possible Lineups & Current Form
Jamshedpur
TP Rehenesh; Laldinliana, Hartley, Stephen Eze, Lallawmawma; Monroy, Amarjit Singh; Jackichand, Vanmalsawma, Lima; Nerijus Valskis
Odisha
Arshdeep Singh; Jacob Tratt, Steven Taylor, Shubham Sarangi, George D'Souza, Marcelinho, Samuel Lalmuanpuia, Cole Alexander, Nandha Kumar, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Manuel Onwu
Key Players
Jamshedpur
Nerijus Valskis
15 goals & 6 assists in Indian Football League 2019-20
1 goal in Indian Football League 2020-21
Jackichand Singh
5 goals in Indian Football League 2019-20
Odisha
Manuel Onwu
7 goals and 2 assists in Indian Football League 2019-20
Marcelinho
7 goals in Indian Football League 2019-20
2 goals in pre-season 2020
