Kolkata: After making a slow start, Chennaiyin FC gathered pace to qualify for the knockouts of the Durand Cup 2022 and will now aim to continue their good show when they face Mumbai City FC in the quarterfinals at the Salt Lake Stadium, here on Sunday.
After a draw and a loss in their first two games, Chennaiyin made a strong comeback in the tournament. They beat I-League sides TRAU FC and NEROCA FC 4-1 and 2-0 respectively to finish second in Group C and qualify for the quarter-finals.
Spearheaded by captain Anirudh Thapa, Chennaiyin FC have scored nine goals so far and they look menacing every time they get the ball in the opposition box.
Chennaiyin will know that former ISL champions Mumbai City will be no easy task even though they lost their last match against East Bengal.
Mumbai City have topped their group and qualified for the last-eight stage. So Chennaiyin will be playing cautiously and looking to exploit the chinks in the opponent’s defence.
“We will try to defend well. Football is a game of mistakes and whichever team capitalises on these errors can take advantage. We will try not to give our opponents too many opportunities tomorrow and allow them space and gaps to operate. At the same time, we will try to exploit our own opportunities. We should be prepared very well,” said Chennaiyin coach Thomas Brdaric in a pre-match press conference.
For Chennaiyin, Thapa has been a crucial player. He has scored two goals and set up another three.
Speaking about his role in the side, Thapa said, “Nothing has changed much in my game. Just that I am playing in a more advanced position which gives me the freedom to score goals and be more inside the box. Apart from that, I have been working hard. I am trying to give my best to help the team score more goals.”
After playing all their group games in Imphal, Chennaiyin have shifted base to Kolkata for the knockout stages.
“We are a new and young team. We needed some game time to get used to the new system and how each player plays. We have now got the competitive matches that we needed. Overall, we have been doing pretty well. We have scored some good goals and the best thing is that different goalscorers scored the goals. The players are ready for the Mumbai City match and we are hoping for a good game. Everyone is excited to play the quarterfinals,” Thapa said about his team’s preparations.
–IANS