After a narrow 1-0 win over Indian Arrows in their last match, seventh-placed Chennai City FC will lock horns against eighth-placed Sudeva Delhi FC with crucial points on the line for both teams at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Wednesday.
With the first phase of the I-League season reaching its mid-way mark, Chennai City FC finds themselves five points adrift of leaders Churchill Brothers.
However, the Satyasagara-coached team are just two points behind second-placed Aizawl FC and need just a point to break into the top half of the table. With a match still in hand, coach Satyasagara wants his team to push into the upper half of the table with a win over Sudeva Delhi FC.
Speaking at the official pre-match press conference Singaporean coach Satyasagara said: “Every win and loss counts in the Hero I-League, and with not a lot separating the teams in terms of points, we need to get as many points as possible.
“We fought hard to win against Arrows as they are not an easy team to play against. We created a lot of chances and we hope to keep that momentum going by getting a positive result tomorrow,” he said. “We are expecting a tough clash against Sudeva Delhi FC. They are a strong challenge and we will need to finish our chances. We are working on our finishing but we need to take them in tomorrow’s match.”
Indian Arrows forward Syed Pasha said, “As a player, I am trying to prove myself in every match and am trying to improve myself daily. I am getting confident with the game-time that I am getting. Tomorrow, we will look to put on a brave performance and get a positive result against Sudeva Delhi FC.”
Permutations change slightly for Sudeva Delhi FC. With five points out of five games, the debutants can also propel themselves to the top half of the table if results go their way.
Speaking at the virtual pre-match meet, Delhi head coach Chencho Dorji said, “We will be in a good position at the table if we can win the match tomorrow. That is what we want and although every opponent is different, in the Hero I-League anyone can beat anyone on their day.”
“We have to continue to play our natural game and we are working on our finishing as well. We deserve to be in a better position in the table and hopefully tomorrow we can grab points to go into the top six,” he added.
Delhi skipper Gursimrat Gill said, “It is a must-win game for us. It is very important to get three points as they will help us close the gap between us and the league leaders. We have to give our 100 percent in the match tomorrow to get those points. We have been missing movements in the attack but hopefully tomorrow we can brush that aside and be clinical in front of goal.”
