Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera rued his side's mistakes as the Kalinga Warriors succumbed to a 2-4 defeat against FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in Saturday’s opener.

FC Goa stretched their unbeaten run against Odisha FC to 11 matches as the Gaurs displayed a standout performance to stun Lobera’s men at their home.

Brison Fernandes’ sublime brace, followed by Udanta Singh’s powerful strike and Amey Ranawade’s own goal, helped FC Goa to put four past the hosts. Meanwhile for Odisha FC, Ahmed Jahouh and Jerry Mawihmingthanga were on the scoresheet. It was the fourth time Odisha FC conceded four goals at home in the ISL and the first such instance with Sergio Lobera as the head coach.

The Kalinga Warriors suffered their seventh defeat against the Gaurs. This was their fourth of the campaign and their second one at home. Lobera believed conceding a couple of easy chances made things difficult for his side as they lost three crucial points.

“I think we improved in the previous games in terms of defensive numbers. We got some clean sheets, but today, it was very different. I think we conceded easy, easy chances to the opponent team. This situation didn't allow us to win the game,” he said in the post-match press conference.

The Odisha FC head coach urged his players to be consistent with their performance, rectify their defensive mistakes, and improve their game in transitions.

Intersecting their overall performance against FC Goa, Lobera remarked, “I think the first mistake allowed them to go to the game in a good way. But the reaction of the team in the first half was good. It was very painful to concede one goal just before half-time and also to concede one more in the first minutes of the second half.”

“Then, obviously, we need to improve; we need to be more consistent, we need to be stronger when we don't have the possession of the ball, especially in transitions. We suffered a lot in transitions. But also, we need to be more clinical, because finally we had chances in the first half to try to get the advantage. I think today, between both sides, we need to improve, because we conceded easy goals, and also, we need to be more clinical in the last half,” he explained.

Defeat. 💔 pic.twitter.com/NH1O2cdl5R

— Odisha FC (@OdishaFC) January 4, 2025

This 2-4 defeat against FC Goa marked Odisha FC’s second loss at home in two years under the guidance of Sergio Lobera. The Spaniard also shared his dissatisfaction with his team’s performance after the game.

“In terms of results, in terms of the second half, we were very disappointed. Obviously, we are competing very well at home. The numbers are there. It's the second game in ISL we are losing in two seasons. Maybe it's one of the worst games we played till now,” Lobera commented.

Lobera opined that they should improve as a team to overcome such a situation. However, he took on the responsibilities as a head coach after the defeat against FC Goa and seemed determined to deliver a quick response in the forthcoming matches.

“We need to improve as a team. Today, we cannot put the focus on the players. I think my job as a coach is to improve the level of the team. Today, we need to speak first about the coach and then about the players,” he stated.

“When the performance of the team is like this, as a coach, you can do more. This is my job. This is my target: to improve the team, to give them the tools to compete at the highest level. Obviously, if we want to compete at the highest level, today is not a good example,” Lobera signed off.