Odisha FC, coming on the back of two successive defeats, handed a wake up call to the Islanders...
The signs were ominous enough for Mumbai City FC even before the match started. Rowllin Borges, the club's central midfield mainstay injured his hamstring in the pre-match warm-up session. This meant coach Jorge Costa had to bring in a winger to replace him half an hour before the game. That too after accommodating another winger Mohammed Rafique in defense because the regular right-back Souvik Chakrabarti was suspended.
The strategy, then had to be pretty conservative. Cover the weak links on the right well, attack a lackluster Odisha FC through the left channel, where arguably India's most composed left-back Subhasish Bose can attack the young unorthodox right-back Subham Sarangi.