East Bengal FC assistant coach Bino George expressed the need for his team to address their mistakes in the upcoming matches following his side's 2-1 defeat against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.

The Red and Gold Brigade took an early lead just after the kickoff with Vishnu PV’s 32-second left-footed strike. However, the hosts levelled the scoreline just before the stroke of halftime with Diego Mauricio’s precise spot-kick.

The Kalinga Warriors enjoyed more possession on the pitch, creating numerous chances, especially through the right flank. The winning goal came from Princeton Rebello in the 61st minute when the midfielder managed to redirect Ahmed Jahouh’s free-kick in the right direction.

Facing their seventh defeat in the ISL 2023-24, East Bengal FC has made their way difficult in the chase for the final playoff spot but will be determined to display a quick reaction when they take on FC Goa in their next away fixture.

George acknowledged that his players should rectify their errors in their upcoming matches. But he shared his pleasure with young Kerala-born winger Vishnu PV, who scored his first ISL goal against Odisha FC.

“We are in a process, and we are trying to learn from our mistakes. Vishnu PV and VP Suhair started the game from the beginning. Vishnu PV also scored the goal, which will give him confidence (going forward),” George said in the post-match press conference.

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East Bengal FC made several changes to their starting XI against the Kalinga Warriors. Reflecting on the alterations in their starting lineup, the assistant coach shared that they provided chances to players who received less game time while going through a busy schedule. Speaking in this context, he said, "We played an exhausting game against Chennaiyin FC just three days ago. The coach wanted to give playing time to the other players who hadn’t received much playing time so far.”

Spanish midfielder Saul Crespo, who suffered an injury in the Kolkata Derby back on February 3, has been sidelined since then. Providing an update on his potential comeback, he said, "Saul Crespo’s treatment is going on. Let’s see what happens. He is enjoying (himself) with the team.”

East Bengal FC retained the eighth position in the points table with 18 points from 17 matches, trailing two points behind sixth-placed Jamshedpur FC. The 47-year-old coach remained optimistic about his side's chances of making it to the playoffs.

He asserted, “There are very few matches left. We are on track. We are all focused and working on that.”