ISL 2021-22: 10 things to know about FC Goa vs Odisha FC

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Bengaluru, February 1: Currently languishing ninth place in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season points table, FC Goa have an opportunity to rise up on Tuesday (February 1), when they take on Odisha FC.

The match will be held at the SAG Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa - the same venue where the Gaurs lost narrowly to Jamshedpur FC in their previous ISL encounter.

With just six more league games remaining, the club are slowly running out of chances to make it to the top-four and would want to make the opportunity count when they meet OFC.

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During the pre-match press conference on Monday (January 31), FC Goa head coach Derrick Pereira clarified that the team will stick to its possession-based style of football.

"I wouldn't say that we would change our style. We have to, and will stick to our philosophy," he explained.

"However, at times there will be a Plan B to explore the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents. More importantly, we also need time on the training pitch to work on such plans - which we rarely got during January.

"Hopefully things become better in the next month, and hopefully the results also get better as a result."

While Brandon Fernandes' return is a big boost, the Gaurs may miss the services of Jorge Ortiz and Glan Martins who are still recovering from injuries.

"Glan had an individual training session yesterday, and today he will train with the team. Ortiz is also in the same situation. We will be monitoring them closely," the head coach revealed.

With just six more league games in hand, a place in the top-four that would also ensure a berth in the playoffs is getting farther from FC Goa's grasp.

As of now, the Gaurs have 14 points from 14 matches. A win against Odisha will take Goa's tally to 17 points, which is only three points behind fourth-placed Bengaluru FC. Any other result would cause no changes to their current position and are hence not desirable.

Meanwhile, Odisha FC are currently at eighth place with 17 points but with a goal-difference of -6. The team from Bhubaneswar are winless in their last two matches, indicating that they surely have weaknesses that the Gaurs can exploit.

Ahead of a crucial match for both teams, with FC Goa Media inputs, myKhel.com looks at 10 factors that could decide the outcome of the match.

1. Odisha FC are yet to keep a clean sheet against FC Goa, having conceded at least once in every clash so far against the Gaurs.

2. Goa have been the first to score in all five matches played so far against Odisha.

3. The Gaurs have been flagged off-side an average of 2.2 times per game this season, the most by any team.

4. Goa are yet to be defeated by Odisha. In the five matches that both teams have played against each other so far, the Gaurs won four. The most recent meeting between the two sides - which happened earlier this season - ended a 1-1 draw.

5. Goa have hit the woodwork eight times so far this season, the most among all ISL clubs. Three of those shots were struck by Edu Bedia.

6. Goa are joint-lowest in terms of counter-attacks in ISL 2021-22, with SC East Bengal. On the other hand, Odisha, who have completed 16 counter-attacks are at second place behind Hyderabad FC.

7. Odisha have conceded the most goals from set-pieces so far in ISL 2021-22 (14 in 13 matches).

8. Goa's Ortiz is second in the list of players with most shots on target in ISL 2021-22 (18 in 12 matches). He did not feature in the Gaurs' most recent league outing against Jamshedpur FC due to an injury.

9. Goa have the second-best success rate in aerial challenges, winning 54 per cent of such attempts.

10. Goa have taken a total of 202 shots on goal in 14 matches, the most by any ISL club this season. On the contrary, their 8 per cent conversion rate is among the lowest in the league this season.