Odisha FC will hope to break down the defensive resolve of Jamshedpur FC in the Steel City as the two teams square off at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 fixture on Friday. Coaches who come with a reputation for success are always eager to assert their authority early on in their tenures. There have been very few tacticians with a more illustrious resume than Lobera in the Indian top-tier league. His return to the country with Odisha FC was highly anticipated, but the Juggernauts got off the mark in the league on a slightly shaky note, losing twice in the first six games. The battle for the top spot in the ISL table is of very slight margins, and dropping eight points (W 3, L 2, D 1) might have already put Lobera in a spot of bother. Bengaluru FC 3–3 Punjab FC, ISL 2023–24: Javi Hernandez’s Late Goal Secures Draw for Blues Against Shers in Six-Goal Thriller.

However, the Spaniard must be brimming with belief in his boys after they brushed aside Mohun Bagan Super Giant by a brilliant 5-2 margin in their AFC Cup encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday.

With five different scorers getting their name on the sheet, will this be the victory that fuels the surge of this Odisha FC season? Let's find out.

Jamshedpur have won five times against Odisha FC in ISL history - the second most victories that they have recorded against a team after NorthEast United FC (6).

More importantly, Jamshedpur FC have also netted 19 goals against the Bhubaneswar-based club, which is the joint-most times they have struck against any ISL team (alongside Mumbai City FC). Whilst every season throws up different challenges altogether, Scott Cooper can surely reflect on what has been done right by his club in their former outings against Odisha FC to derive similar impressive outcomes this time around. Mohun Bagan Super Giant ‘No-Show’ Gives East Bengal CFL Derby Walkover, Set for Runners-Up Finish in Calcutta Football League 2023.

Odisha FC did not merely win against the Mariners in Kolkata in the AFC Cup; they held total control over the proceedings against one of the strongest sides in the country. That speaks volumes of the immediacy with which Lobera has imprinted his ideas within his team. The key should be to replicate that in the league level so that they can succeed concurrently at both the national and Asian stages.

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