Tilak Maidan Stadium witnessed a 1-1 stalemate between Odisha FC and FC Goa. Both teams had their fair share of chances to grab a win but lacked that final touch. Odisha and Goa are now separated by 2 points and lie in the bottom half of the table.
It was a new beginning for FC Goa as Derrick Pereira succeeded Juan Ferrando as manager. A draw against an inconsistent Odisha FC side is not the worst start to club life for Periera. Meanwhile, Odisha FC have now failed to register a win in 3 consecutive matches. They have only claimed 1 out of a possible 9 in their last 3 encounters.
Odisha FC 1-1 FC Goa: The Game
It was an end-to-end game right from the beginning as both teams had their initial efforts on goal saved. FC Goa dominated play and had more of the ball for the opening 30 minutes. Beautiful transition play from FC Goa set up Alberto Noguera for a shot. However, Kamaljit Singh dived the right way to parry his effort away from the goal.
FC Goa’s constant pressure helped them break the deadlock 42 minutes in. It was a set piece drilled from the training ground which broke Odisha’s resistance. A free-kick from Noguera found Murgaonkar who directed the ball towards Ivan Gonzalez. The Spanish center-back made no mistake and put his side ahead. The first half ended 1-0 in favor of FC Goa.
A half-time team talk from Kiko Ramirez did wonders for Odisha FC. They came out brimming with confidence in the second period. Jonathas grabbed his second goal (53′) of the season to equalize for Odisha. He was in the right place at the right time as a save from Dheeraj rebounded to him. On high alert, it was an easy tap-in for the Brazilian.
Odisha found their feet after the goal and were a constant threat to the opposition. The constant press from Odisha almost led to FC Goa scoring an own goal (72′). However, a last-ditch clearance spared their blushes. Odisha failed to finish off FC Goa after having better chances in the second half.
Krasniqi hit the post in the 93rd minute and was unfortunate to not find the net. A closely-contested game ended in a 1-1 stalemate and it was a night of frustration for both teams.
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