“The balance between attack and defence is important”: Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera

Ahead of Odisha FC’s match against Northeast United FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, the Juggernauts head coach Sergio Lobera said that they need to find the balance to concede less in a game.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Lobera said that the balance between attack and defence is important.
“The balance between attack and defence is important. We’re scoring a lot of goals, but we’re also conceding a lot. While I want us to play attacking football, we need to take better care and aim to find more balance when we lose possession because we’re conceding goals,” Lobera said in the pre-match press conference as quoted by ISL’s website.
While talking about recovery after the previous game, the head coach said that the players are playing two matches in three days and the recovery is not easy. He added that they need to adapt to this situation.
“It’s not easy to recover, especially when the players are playing two games in three days. But, as I’ve mentioned before, there are no excuses. We need to adapt to this situation. Complaining and searching for problems won’t help us in this scenario. We have a busy schedule with a lot of games in a short time, but as a coach, I have (got) a very talented squad with excellent players,” he added.
Sergio Lobera further commented that needs to recover as quickly as possible to play against Northeast United FC in the best possible conditions.
“We need to recover as quickly as possible to play tomorrow in the best possible conditions. I’m excited because when you work with professionals like I have in the squad, we are always ready for the challenge. Let’s see what happens tomorrow, but it’s a very important game for us, and getting three points at home is crucial,” he added.
The Spaniard praised Northeast United FC and said that they are playing very well and doing a great job and are in good momentum.
“They are playing very well and doing a great job. They are in a good mood and are coming off a win in the last minute of their previous game. They are in a very good moment, but we are also ready and excited about the match, to play against them. I think this is a great opportunity to earn points and position ourselves ahead of them in the table. It’s going to be a good game,” he added.
Odisha FC are coming into their upcoming match after beating Bengaluru FC by 3-2 in a thrilling match. The Juggernauts are standing in sixth place after winning two out of their five games. Lobera’s side have seven points by their name.
The match between Odisha and Northeast will kick off at 8:00 PM IST.