ISL 2020-21 NorthEast United FC vs Odisha FC Live Updates: NorthEast United FC lead 3-1 against Odisha FC as they look to get a strong hold in the playoffs race in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 during Match No.93 at the Tilak Maidan on Sunday. Arshdeep first saves a shot on goal from his left and then Machado tries to score off the rebound and Arshdeep gets his fingertips to the ball to deny him. Bradden Inman scores for Odisha just before half time off a good Daniel pass. Big save from Arshdeep as Brown goes for goal off another beautiful through ball from Gallego. Machado heads in his second goal off Gallego’s inch-perfect delivery. Deshorn Brown scores NorthEast’s second off a stunning through ball from Gallego. Quite a few changes for both teams. Luis Machado scores a beauty to put NorthEast 1-0 up. NorthEast United FC are in a tight race with FC Goa and Hyderabad FC for the last two spots in the playoffs and will look to take an upper hand today. Odisha FC, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and will purely be playing for pride. Follow all the live updates of NorthEast United FC vs Odisha FC in News18 Sports’ blog.

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NorthEast United and Odisha last played each other on December 22 with the match ending in a 2-2 draw. It was a see-saw-like match as Odisha had taken the lead with Diego Mauricio finding the back of the net in the 22 minute. However, NorthEast United hit back with a Benjamin Lambot goal in the stoppage time of the first half. NorthEast then earned a penalty which Kwesi Appiah converted in the 65th minute to give NEUFC the lead. However, that lead couldn’t last two minute as Cole Alexander found the equaliser in the 67th minute.

Despite the gap in the points table, NorthEast United FC knew they cannot take Odisha lightly. “They have done very well in the last game against Kerala Blasters. We have to go tomorrow with the right mentality and give our best effort to win the game,” said assistant coach Alison Kharsyntiew. NEUFC received an additional boost when Hyderabad FC, one of the three teams going neck-to-neck in the race for the playoffs dropped points against SC East Bengal in their last game. But Alison believes that they have to finish the job themselves instead of waiting for others to do it for them. “The main thing is that we don’t concentrate on other performances. We have to do our best to get the three points tomorrow. We got there with a very serious attitude, being hungry. Our main objective is to win tomorrow’s match,” he said.

For Odisha, the remainder of the ISL season will be about restoring some pride. They contributed to that cause in their previous game against Kerala Blasters whom they held to a thrilling 2-2 draw. “The Blasters game has given us the momentum, because in that game, from start to the finish, we kept going. They overloaded one side and we dealt with it. Then they tried to come through the middle and then the other side, and we dealt with it. Some of our combination play was top-draw,” said Odisha interim coach Gerald Peyton. Peyton was also pleased with how new signing Brad Inman had done since coming in from ATK Mohun Bagan. “I was really pleased for Brad Inman to come in and do things that were needed – playing in little pockets, changing the play at the right time, playing on the diagonal. It gave me a lot of good things,” he said.