ISL 2024-25: Kerala Blasters, Odisha FC Play Thrilling Draw, Noah Sadaoui show nullified by Diego Mauricio equaliser

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Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in a high-octane Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 encounter at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Thursday -- October 3.

The match, which saw all four goals scored in the first half, was packed with action from start to finish, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Diego Mauricio stole the show with the equaliser in the 36th minute after Noah Sadaoui scored and assisted for Blasters for an early 2-0 lead.

Kerala Blasters started strong, quickly asserting their dominance with two early goals. In the 18th minute, Noah Sadaoui opened the scoring with a well-placed shot, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack set up by Jesus Jimenez. Just three minutes later, the roles reversed as Jimenez doubled the Blasters' lead with a stunning finish from a Sadaoui assist, making it 2-0 by the 21st minute.

However, Odisha FC refused to back down. In the 29th minute, they pulled one back thanks to an own goal by Kerala Blasters defender Alexandre Coeff, who inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net following a cross by Jerry Mawihmingthanga. The home side's resurgence continued, and just seven minutes later, Diego Mauricio levelled the score at 2-2 with a clinically low finish after a beautiful one-two with Jerry.

The second half began with high expectations, but both teams tightened up defensively, leading to fewer clear-cut chances. The final minutes of the game saw moments of drama, as Odisha's Amey Ranawade made a last-ditch tackle on Sadaoui in the penalty area, which could have been a game-changing penalty, but the referee waved play on.

In injury time, both sides came close to snatching a late winner. Odisha's Roy Krishna saw his shot narrowly miss the target, and Kerala's Kwame Peprah missed a golden opportunity on the counter-attack, ensuring the match ended in a 2-2 stalemate.

Noah Sadaoui was named the Man of the Match for his outstanding contribution, scoring one goal and providing an assist. While both teams would have wanted the three points, this exciting draw leaves them with much to build on as the ISL 2024-25 season progresses.