Odoi hails Mitrovic and targets promotion
ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC is the hottest striker in the Championship right now, and his predator’s instinct continues to keep Fulham in the promotion hunt.
The Newcastle loanee’s brace at Preston took his tally since moving to Craven Cottage on deadline day to seven, all of which have been scored in his last five matches.
His form has all but ensured Slavisa Jokanovic’s side will, at the very least, end the season in the play-off positions following a run of 15 league games without defeat.
The gap between Fulham and seventhplaced Bristol City now stands at 10 points with nine games to play.
And while Mitrovic’s goals continue to make headlines, his presence up front has ensured one of the best footballing sides in the second tier now has the focal point they were previously missing.
“Aleksandar is an animal,” said defender Denis Odoi following the Serb’s latest match-winning turn.
“As a defender I would not enjoy playing against him. I’m not sure I even like it that much when we are in training games together because he’s so difficult to deal with.
“He is very hard so, if you try to handle him in a physical way by sticking right to him, he will just use his strength to roll away.
“Then there is the fact he can score great goals – his touch is so good.
“He does not need much time or space to score and that just makes him more dangerous.”
That was never more evident than at Deepdale as Mitrovic (top) twice found himself in the right place at the right time.
He broke the deadlock midway through the second half with a clinical finish after substitute Cyrus Christie pulled back a low cross from the right-hand side.
That did not deter a confident Preston side, and they were level 14 minutes from time as Sean Maguire’s header squirted through Marcus Bettinelli’s grasp.
Mitrovic was not to be denied, though, as he nodded in Tom Cairney’s lobbed cross at the back post seconds into stoppage time (celebrating with team-mates, circle).
His goals have kept Fulham within five points of an automatic promotion place, and Odoi is confident that, whatever happens, the aim of reaching the Premier League is more than achievable. He added: “We are very happy about our progress and, with the momentum we have now, we have to believe anything is possible – maybe even going up automatically.
“The big problem is that (second-placed) Cardiff keep winning to keep their distance. “Maybe automatic promotion is asking too much but the Premier League – we feel we can make that, whatever route we take.” Defeat for Preston was just the third in their last 21 league matches, and Alex Neil’s side have not given up hope of bridging the four-point gap to the top six. “They’re flying at the minute and we took them all the way,” said defender Ben Davies. “We’re where we are in the league for a reason. Now we’ve got nine games left and nothing to lose.”