Vasco, Dec 21: Former champions Chennaiyin FC will aim to carry on the winning run when they take on Kerala Blasters FC in an Indian Super League match at the Tilak Maidan Stadium here on Wednesday.
Chennaiyin bounced back with a 2-1 victory in their last match which also helped them get back into the top four in the standings with 11 points. The Blasters, on the other hand, with two wins, a loss and three draws, will be keen to build on a superb win over Mumbai City FC in the previous match and increase their tally from the current 9.
Chennaiyin FC’s head coach Bozidar Bandovic is aware of the challenges the Blasters pose, but is confident in his unit, saying they have developed a winning mentality. “My players are very strong mentally. They show good attitude in every game and don’t give up till the end. This is how I like to build a team. Each team has their strengths and we need to use ours to win the games,” Bandovic said ahead of the game.
Chennaiyin holds an edge over the team from Kerala when it comes to the head-to-head record as they have emerged victorious on six occasions in their last 16 ISL meetings. Kerala Blasters, on the other hand, have managed to win three while seven games have ended in draws.
“They (KBFC) are a good team and have secured a good win a couple of days ago. We need to have a good balance in attacking and defending. You need to prepare yourself according to the opponents. Like other teams, they also have strong individuals that we need to take care of,” Bandovic said.
The CFC coach spoke about the importance of putting pressure on the opponents by creating chances and said, “It means nothing to me if you are playing attacking and not making chances. In most of the games we were dangerous as we created chances. If you see statistics, it will tell you clearly. For me, creating chances is more important. We will score goals”.
The Blasters will be brimming with confidence after hammering defending champions MCFC and coach Ivan Vukomanovic will be hoping the team continues in the same vein and that Sahal Abdul Samad can cause similar damage against CFC. He would also be hoping the defence can keep the opposition strikers in check like the other teams. (PTI)
