Odisha, NorthEast United face off in Super Cup semi-final

Manjeri: Odisha FC and NorthEast United FC will cross swords in the second semifinal of the Super Cup football tournament here on Saturday, aiming to make the title clash after an impressive outing in the group stage.

Odisha qualified for the semifinals as Group B winners with seven points. After a 1-1 draw with East Bengal FC on the opening day, they responded with back-to-back wins over Aizawl FC (3-0) and Hyderabad FC (2-1).

In the latter game against last season’s ISL champions, they came from behind at half-time to secure victory and a place in the semifinals.

Through the efforts of Jordan Wilmar, NorthEast United FC has advanced to the Hero Super Cup 2023 semifinals.

NorthEast United had a miserable Hero ISL season, losing 17 of their 20 games. To start their Hero Super Cup campaign, they suffered a defeat to Chennaiyin FC. However, they returned to the race after defeating Mumbai City FC in the second encounter.

Odisha FC Probable XI: Arminder, Narender Gahlot, Carlos Degado, Osama Malik, Sahil Panwar, Thoiba Singh, Rebello, Victor Rodriguez, Diego Mauricio, Nandhakumar Sekar, Jerry M.

NorthEast United FC Probable XI: Arindam, Hira Mondal, Alisher Kholmurodov, Joe Zoherliana, Gurjinder Kumar, Joseba Beitia, Mohammed Irshad, Emil Benny, Rochharzela, Romain Philippoteaux, and Wilmar Jordan

Match Prediction: NorthEast has just found their form again and is playing as a cohesive unit. However, Odisha feels confident because they are undefeated in the group stage. As a result, it will be a challenging encounter for both sides, but I believe NorthEast will benefit from their just-found form and go to the finals.