AGENCIES
CHENNAI
Marco Materazzi’s strongmen will be banking on their familiar home ground surroundings to get physiological edge against FC Pune City in the Hero Indian Super League clash in Chennai on Saturday.
Chennaiyin FC lost their opener at home against defending champions Atletico de Kolkata and has since then been on the road, winning two of their four matches played away. Six points from five matches are not what Chennaiyin FC must have imagined at the start of the campaign but assistant coach Vivek Nagul feels they now have a chance to accumulate victories playing at home.
“It is not ideal to get six points from five matches. We need more points. We had a long trip and we are aware of the importance of this game. The players had a good rest and they are now ready. We have studied our opponents and know what to do,” said Nagul.
Marco Materazzi had made six changes in the last game against NorthEast United, which they lost 0-2, and many of those who did not start are likely to return to the playing eleven.
“We just wanted to rotate the players and give them some rest. We need to take care of the players. We will be playing this game to get three points,” said Nagul, when asked to explain the absence of star players like Elano Blumer and Stiven Mendoza, both of who have scored seven of the team’s eight goals.
FC Pune City has been one of the more attractive teams in this edition of Hero ISL this season and coach David Platt will look to jump back to the top of the table. They have nine points in their kitty, just one short of FC Goa who have played an additional match and are heading the leader board.
“Top of the league does not count for a great deal right now because we are still early in the season,” Platt said during the pre-match media briefing.
The FC Pune City coach said at this stage there were no favourites in the competition and each team had the capability to script a win against any opposition.
“I see there is a parity. There are no favourites whether you are playing home or away. There is parity on the pitch. Back-to-back wins and you will be right back in the league,” he said.
Platt also dismissed suggestions that his team would start as second favourites, simply because they were playing an away match.
“To me, home or away is not necessarily where you take an advantage. The advantage is in the amount of time you get to recover between games. Anything over three days recovery is fine and there is no issue,” said Platt.
L-L-W-W-L
W-W-L-W
Chennaiyin FC have never lost to FC Pune City. Last year, they picked up these results: 1-1 (away) and 3-1 (home). Wonder boy Stiven Mendoza scored in both the matches.
QUOTES
We didn’t get the result we expected. This time we will be playing with the team to get the three points,"
"They are a good side they seem settled. They have a manager with experience and that counts. There are players who can make a difference,"
