Goa: NorthEast United FC will face the tough challenge against ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Tuesday (January 26). NorthEast will come into this game on the back of a 2-1 win over Jamshedpur. Currently placed at sixth, the Islanders can’t afford to lose any more momentum if they intend to enter the playoffs.
Despite the sacking of Gerard Nus, they have shown good promise under the interim head coach Khalid Jamil looking to retain this current form.
“We need to dictate the play and control the game. When we do not have the ball, we have to defend well, and when we do have the ball, we have to keep it well. If we get a correct chance to operate in the attack, then we will attack. If not, we will be patient with the ball. I am sure that the boys will do a good job against ATK Mohun Bagan,” added NEUFC assistant coach Alison Kharsyntiew ahead of the game.
However, amidst everything, they have found a new source for scoring goals, Deshorn Brown, who came to this side on loan from Bengaluru FC before netting against Jamshedpur last Sunday which proved to be quite crucial.
On the other hand, second-placed ATK Mohun Bagan will look to close the gap between them and league leaders Mumbai City FC with a win on Republic Day. Despite their win against the Marina Machans in the last fixture, they have only managed to score 12 goals in 12 games this season which has been an issue with Antonio Lopez Habas’s side,
“The team had a good performance during the 90 minutes in the last match. The idea will be the same. The players understand that in this match, we need another win. Also, we changed the system of play and maybe this system had an influence on the score. NorthEast have played very well in the Hero ISL this season. We have to respect them,” the Spaniard added in his pre-match conference.
While their talismanic forward Roy Krishna has also seen a dip in his form with his last goal coming in the fixture between these two sides earlier this month. The Mariners will hope that the star striker can inspire them to make something happen against a side that have created a few upsets this season.
