Jamshedpur: Odisha FC will play Jamshedpur FC in their Indian Super League match in Jamshedpur Wednesday, hoping to collect full points as the race for the last play-offs spot has gained steam.
Jamshedpur FC have already qualified for the playoffs and are fourth in the table with 38 points from 22 games on the back of 12 wins and two draws.
Odisha FC are preparing for their final league fixture, placed seventh with 30 points from 23 outings thus far. A win against Jamshedpur FC will see them reach 33 points.
If the sixth-placed Mumbai City FC lose both their remaining games, the Islanders will also be on 33 points at the end of the league phase. In that case, the equation will come down to goal difference, which still gives Odisha FC a lot to play for, with just one vacant playoffs spot left now.
Odisha FC’s goal difference is six right now, better than Mumbai City FC (0). The Khalid Jamil-coached side will want form by their side going into the playoffs, since they have won and drawn twice each in their last five games.
Odisha FC have failed to score in each of their last two ISL matches, having gone on a longer goalless streak only twice before.
Interestingly, they are the fourth-highest scoring team this season with 41 strikes to their name.
Odisha FC have permitted opponents an average of 9.9 shots from inside the box per game since the start of 2025, with only Mohammedan SC (11.1) and Hyderabad FC (10.4) conceding more.
They have kept the third-least clean sheets (4) in ISL 2024-25.
Jamshedpur FC have played 46.1% of their passes forward in the current campaign, the second-highest share among all teams. However, they have completed just 52.5% of them – the second lowest in the league. It reflects a lack of neatness on this front, but also highlights that they have embraced risk-taking options offensively.
Jamshedpur FC’s goalkeeper Albino Gomes has made a league-high 83 saves this season, which shows that the team has a reliable presence between the sticks to stop shots from going in even if they end up conceding open spaces in their defensive third.
PTI
