Bhubaneswar, Dec 2 (UNI) Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera highlighted their home dominance as they soared past in-form Bengaluru FC by a 4-2 scoreline in the Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Kalinga Stadium here. The Kalinga Warriors demonstrated their sheer offensive prowess from the offset as they secured a sustainable 3-0 lead at the stroke of halftime. Goals from Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Mourtada Fall, and Diego Mauricio handed the hosts a dream start against the Blues on Sunday night.The Brazilian forward scored his second at the hour mark with his fascinating footwork as he dribbled past a couple of opponent defenders before lodging a right-footed screamer to record his ninth brace in the league’s history. However, Bengaluru FC pulled two goals back in the second half courtesy of Sunil Chhetri and Edgar Mendez’s powerful headed strikes. With that, the Blues saw their winless run continue the Kalinga Stadium as they lost three out of three games playing at Odisha FC’s home turf.Lobera shared his delight after securing back-to-back big-margin victories that saw the Kalinga Warriors climb to the third spot with 15 points from 10 games. The Spaniard showered faith in his players’ impactful performances and commended their resilient defensive attributes against a strong side like Bengaluru FC. “I am very happy, not only about the results and scoring four goals, but also about the way we gotthe three points. I think the first half was an amazing first half.
With the ball and without the ball, we defend very well the spaces; we know the opponent team is very dangerous between lines, and the players understood perfectly what we did, and I am very proud of my players because they did an amazing job,” Lobera said in the post-match press conference. “I am happy because it’s three very important points for us against a very strong team, but I am very happy with the way we got the three points,” he added. Odisha FC showcased their home dominance yet again to stun the Gerard Zaragoza-coached side, who lost one of their first nine games. Under the tutelage of experienced head coach Sergio Lobera, the Kalinga Warriors played 19 games at home, among which they emerged victorious 13 times, shared points on five occasions, and suffered a single defeat since the 2023-24 season.Lobera underscored the significance of the loyal, faithful fanbase behind their successful performances while playing at the Kalinga Stadium.The Odisha FC head coach wholeheartedly thanked their thousands of supporters for turning up in huge numbers and acknowledged that their presence plays a pivotal role in bringing positive results.Speaking in context, Lobera remarked, “I can only say one thing: ‘Thank you.’ They are supporting us a lot. We are very strong in Kalinga. From the beginning, as a coach here, I only lost one game.
This is not for me; this is not only for the players. It is because of the people we have in the stadium supporting us every time, pushing us.” “I am very happy because, finally, this is our target. This is our job. When the people are coming to the stadium, it is very nice to see the people coming back home happy,” he continued. Odisha FC will next host Mumbai City FC this Thursday in their seventh home game of the ongoing season. Lobera urged his players to stay focused on their game to carry forward the positive momentum in the forthcoming matches. “We need to continue working; we need to try to find the balance. As always, I told you before, there are grays in football; it’s not everything black or white. We were not a disaster at the beginning of the season, and we are not an amazing team now. We need to continue working; we need to enjoy today, but we have a very difficult game in practically three days against Mumbai City FC,” he commented, shedding light on the importance of maintaining the shape to continue their winning run. “We need to put the foot on the floor, and we need to continue working because we can improve as a team and we can continue growing. The last two results were good for us, but now the focus is on the next one,” Lobera signed off.