New Delhi: Delhi Dynamos will be eyeing the top spot on the points table when they take on NorthEast United FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.
Delhi are currently at the second place with 12 points in their bag and a game in hand. They have won four of their six games so far. They had struggled to get their combination going at the start of their campaign, but have improved gradually.
A win on Tuesday will see them go two points clear of current table toppers FC Pune City (13 points).
Delhi manager Roberto Carlos, however, is aware of the pitfalls of dropping guard, and has asked his team not to take anything for granted.
“Sometimes, the table does not show the actual skills of a team. NorthEast United is a good team and have some great players. So I know they will do well and it will be a tough match,” Carlos said during the pre-match media briefing here on Monday.
One of the better players for Delhi Dynamos and the ISL this season has been John Arne Riise. The UEFA Champions League winner and former Liverpool full back has played in multiple positions and said he is enjoying his football in India.
“There is always some difficulty when you come to a new country. But I am feeling confident and stronger with each game that we play. We had five away games so far and some games have been difficult. It’s been a good start for me and the team,” the former Norway international said.
NorthEast United, despite their position in the bottom half of the league table, will be no pushovers. Coach Cesar Farias knows that his team is still in contention for a place in the semi-finals.
“This league is even between teams and every game brings a different story. In the last game, there were accidental handballs (which were given as penalties). It’s quite rare and that opened up the game,” said Farias.
“Knowing that we have had long travels and back-to-back (away) games, there is not much time to think about what happened in the previous matches. When you lose, you do not see many positives, but there were positives and we hope to get the result we need,” said the former Venezuela manager.
NorthEast United have won only two matches so far, both of them at home. They have lost all their away matches so far.
