NorthEast United FC coach João Carlos Pires de Deus on Friday said that he wanted his team to play the same way as they did in their first two games as they take on Delhi Dynamos FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.
The Highlanders are still waiting to score their first goal in Hero Indian Super League 2017-18 Season. “What I tell my boys is to do the same as we did in the first two games. We created enough opportunities in those two matches. We’ll try to do the same against Delhi Dynamos and hope we get a little bit more lucky,” the Portuguese coach said.
Speaking to the media before their second away game, Deus said that Delhi’s attacking threat which boasts of Nigerian forward Kalu Uche and teenage starlet Lallianzuala Chhangte, will be a good challenge. “They are a good attack. And they have a balanced squad. We have studied our opponents and we’ll try to minimise their attacking threat,” he said.
The hosts Delhi Dynamos FC will look to get off to a winning start in their first home game on Saturday. Miguel Ángel Portugal’s side played its opening two matches away from home – winning one and tasting defeat in the other.
“I know my stadium. Our support, I think, will be the difference because it’s good to have fans supporting your team through the entire game. But that will be the only advantage we have in the match. We’ll have to play the game the same way as we did in the first two matches,” Portugal said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
Portugal also expressed concerns over his team’s defensive fragilities at the presser. The Delhi team has conceded six goals in two games. “It’s a problem conceding six goals in two matches. But it’s not just about our defence; rather, it’s about the way we have been defending as a team. I don’t like it. Our philosophy is to press well and we have not been doing that and I’m worried about that,” he added.
