Chennai: Winless in the past two matches at home, Chennaiyin FC will look to bounce back when they take on an upbeat Pune City at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.
Two last minute goals deprived the ‘Marina Machans’ victories against both Kerala Blasters and Delhi Dynamos but they will be desperate to break the trend against a side just one notch below them. Assistant coach Syed Sabir Pasha however feels “It’s just lack of focus.”
Such a defeat hurts the players added the former AIFF academy coach. “We have to play as a team in those last moments. It will not happen in the matches to come,” he assured.
Of the 10 goals that Chennaiyin have conceded this season, five have come after the 75th minute while they conceded six in the second half and face a Pune side that has scored a ramping 18 goal this season. But Pasha informed that the home team’s defence will be bolstered by the return of Captain Henrique Sereno.
“We know Pune is strong in attack,” said Pasha. “They look threatening. We know they are a good attacking side and will come hard at us. But We are lucky that our best player, captain (Soreno) is behind.”
Pune on the other will eye revenge when face Chennaiyin, a side that beat them earlier in the season. Moreover the ‘Stallions’ will have to overcome the absence of star man Marcelinho who is suspended for the fixture, after receiving his fourth yellow in the last match against Kerala Blasters.
“Marcelinho is one of the best player in the league,” said Pune Assistant coach Vladica Grujic. “We will miss him surely but I know our team has quality. If a team cannot play without one player, it’s no team. We know his importance, he is a strong player but we know how (good) is our team,” added the Serbian.
The Maharashtra based club is one of the only two sides to yet make the play-offs and Grujic confirmed that, “This is our aim to come in the first four teams.”
Ironically both the teams will not have their head coach on the sidelines when the two square-off. Both the gaffers are serving a four-match ban but their teams have not slumped in form and will hope to carry on the momentum knowing a win can propel them to the top.