Odisha FC's Josep Gombau - We deserve more points

Odisha FC are winless in their last four matches in the Indian Super League (ISL) and they will look for their second win this season when they take on bottom-placed Hyderabad FC.

Interestingly, Odisha FC will use Shiv Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium in Pune as their home base for the first few matches, a venue where Hyderabad FC, whose players used to play their trade for FC Pune City last season, are familiar with.

Coach Josep Gombau mentioned that it is more of a home game for their opponents than themselves.

“For us, it has been difficult. Tomorrow for us, it’s an away game as they are more used to playing here than us. It is an aspect that will decide the game; it is not something we can talk about here. It is a field which is not in very good condition. We are ready to play this game. We know our opponents well and I hope tomorrow we get the three points,” said the Spaniard.

Gombau's men are seventh in the league with six points and have scored a mere eight goals in over 630 minutes. Gombau urged his players to convert the goalscoring opportunities against Hyderabad FC, who was the worst defensive record in the league.

“We are creating the chances, we are arriving to the box of the opposition team. Against Bengaluru, we had 29 arrivals to the box, now it is important to convert these chances. We are preparing well. Tomorrow I hope we can score some goals.

“Tomorrow is a crucial match. It is a massive game for us. It’s all or nothing. We can get to nine points and we are close to fighting for the play-offs as well. It is important to take this mentality and to not take pressure.”

Odisha FC, which was previously known as Delhi Dynamos, are yet to play a home game at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar as it is under renovation. Gombau spoke of the difficulties his team has had to face especially when it came to acclimatizing to the new conditions.

"After the match in Goa, we have three home games in a row. It is very good for us to play in our home ground and in front of our fans. But we have a lot of travelling. As a player and a coach, we also need our time. In Pune, it is more difficult because we don’t have a training ground and so we had to spend one week in Mumbai.

“To move a club is something which is not easy. It means to have a lot of things changed. I always think positive. For all the difficulties we have, the team is working well, the players are doing great. We are working hard, and on the field we are very well. We need some luck sometimes to score the goal. We deserve more points. The three games in a row need to be our games, we will try to make up all the points there. This home factor is very important for us," he concluded.