Both Jamshedpur FC and Odisha FC will be searching for their first win in Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 when they square off at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Sunday. The two clubs will feature in the first fixture of Hero ISL 2020-21’s first double-header and neither will want to drop points having suffered defeats once already this campaign.

The two sides have faced each other twice in the Hero ISL with a win apiece to show for. Sunday’s clash is an important one for both teams despite it still being early in the season. Most teams have at least one point under their belt so far but a defeat for either Jamshedpur or Odisha on Sunday will mean that they would be pointless two games into their respective campaigns.

Despite the loss to Chennaiyin FC in their season opener, Jamshedpur will back themselves to get the job done against Odisha. Owen Coyle’s men weren’t at their best against the Marina Machans, and they need to be more solid defensively if they want to take something from the contest against Odisha.

While it remains to be seen if skipper Peter Hartley plays having been substituted due to an injury in the last game, the centre-back pairing of Stephen Eze and Narender Gahlot didn’t look out of place at the back. They will certainly be in contention for the match against Odisha and will hope that Sandip Mandi and Laldinliana Renthlei have a better game in the fullback slots.

Their midfield also has to raise their game following an underwhelming showing last time around. With talents like Jackichand Singh, Alexandre Lima and Aitor Monroy in the centre of the park, there’s no reason why Jamshedpur shouldn’t be dominating the midfield.

Up front all eyes will be on their talisman Nerijus Valskis, who has already opened his account for the season after scoring Jamshedpur’s only goal of the match against Chennaiyin. The Lithuanian striker, though, could do with some support in the final third and the likes of Aniket Jadhav and John Fitzgerald must do all that they can to help him.

In the pre-match press conference, Jamshedpur head coach Coyle said: "Stuart Baxter [Odisha head coach] has a great standing in the game and is a good addition to the Hero ISL. Odisha are going to be difficult opponents to play against. They have a nice blend of youth and experience and they have good foreign players as well. We have to be ready for that challenge. We will look to start the game better and work to try and take control of the game and win those valuable three points."

Meanwhile, Odisha must pick themselves up and go again after a disappointing game against Hyderabad. The Bhubaneswar-based club were undone by a penalty in their season opener and will be eager to make things right against Jamshedpur. They must be sharper in thought and action after a somewhat ill-disciplined showing that saw as many as five of their defensive minded players booked last time around.

Skipper Steven Taylor must do better in organizing his backline that features Gaurav Bora, Hendry Antonay, Saurabh Meher and Shubham Sarangi. Their midfield must also do better. Nandhakumar Sekar can threaten any opposition defence from wide areas and must look to impose himself more come Sunday. Jerry Mawihmingthanga’s injury is however a big setback.

Odisha will also be hoping for a better display from their go-to man Marcelo Pereira, who was substituted in the last match following a lacklustre showing. The Brazilian playmaker, along with Manuel Onwu and Diego Mauricio, needs to step up if Odisha are to start winning games and harbour hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals.

“There will be changes but with Jerry injured, there is no direct replacement. We tweaked the set-up a little bit, Onwu played in the pocket, giving Diego support. Onwu wanted to play in that role because he has played there before and he is conscientious in his defending. We wanted him to be closer to Diego and Marcelo and make a front three. You can expect him to be playing in his normal position soon,” Odisha head coach Stuart Baxter said ahead of the game.

Squads:

Jamshedpur FC

Goalkeepers: Pawan Kumar, Niraj Kumar, TP Rehenesh, Raj Mahato, Vishal Yadav

Defenders: Narender Gahlot, Joyner Lourenco, Ricky Lallawmawma, Sandip Mandi, Laldinliana Renthlei, Karan Amin, Peter Hartley, Stephen Eze, Subhash Barua, Manash Protim Gogoi

Midfielders: Aitor Monroy, Alexandre Lima, Amarjit Singh, Jackichand Singh, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Mohammad Mobashir, Jitendra Singh, Gaurab, Manisana Singh, Harsha Parui, Gorachand Mamdi, Billu Teli

Forwards: Nerijus Valskis, William Lalnunfela, John Fitzgerald, David Grande, Sapam Kennedy, Bhupender Singh, Aniket Jadhav

Odisha FC

Goalkeepers: Arshdeep Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Ravi Kumar, Ankit Bhuyan

Defenders: Steven Taylor, Saurabh Meher, Gaurav Bora, Kamalpreet Singh, Mohd Sajid Dhot, George D’Souza, Shubham Sarangi, Jacob, Hendry Antonay

Midfielders: Baoringdao Bodo, Cole Alexander, Isak Vanlalruatfela, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, S Lalhrezuala, Nandhakumar Sekar, Paul Ramfangzauva, Samuel Lalmuanpuia, Vinit Rai, Thoiba Singh

Forwards: Diego Mauricio, Manuel Onwu, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Laishram Singh, Marcelo Pereira

Live Broadcast Schedule:

Hero ISL 2020-21 Match 10: Jamshedpur FC vs Odisha FC

Date: November 29 (Sunday)

Time: 5:00 PM onwards

Channels: Star Sports Network

Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV