New Delhi: Delhi Dynamos will have to be sharper in front of the goal as they battle FC Pune City in a crucial encounter of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday.
Delhi are placed third with 15 points from nine matches but they have scored just eight goals, the least in the tournament so far. League leaders FC Goa have 20 goals to their credit while even Chennaiyin FC, placed at the bottom of the table, have 11. Coach Roberto Carlos knows that they have not scored enough but is not pressing the panic button.
“The goals will come at the right time. I would have been more worried if we were not performing at all. We have to get on the pitch tomorrow against FC Pune City to win the game. My team is doing the best to win,” Carlos said on Wednesday. Interestingly, Delhi have also conceded the least number of goals as their defenders have kept it extremely tight at the back.
FC Pune City, who also have 15 points in their bag and are second on the table with a better goal difference of plus one, have a battle on their hands. “Delhi may not have scored a lot of goals but they have won considerable points. Their defensive record is better than other teams and they are difficult to break down. They are a very settled team, not too much of rotation,” said Pune City manager David Platt.
Pune have not won any of their four matches played away from home, drawing two and losing the other two. They play three of their last four matches away but Platt remained confident that they can get the necessary points that will help them qualify for the semifinals. “I don’t think playing away is a huge factor how we perform. I don’t look at it as a concern, these four games. I just look at it as another game against another opposition. We can win matches between now and the end of the season, so there is no concern,” said Platt.
“Every single club has been through a patch where they faced problems. Ourselves and Delhi since the start of the season have been in the top four. That’s our immediate target.” Platt said he was not attaching any additional importance to the clash which is between the second and third placed teams. “I wouldn’t look at this as crucial. We are all very well blessed (at the moment) as majority of our players are available,” said Platt, adding that there will be a lot of clubs who would want to be in their position.
