Delhi Dynamos head coach Gianluca Zambrotta wants his side to be fearless and head into the second leg of their ISL 2016 semifinal against Kerala Blasters with a positive attitude. Delhi trail 1-0 through a goal from Kervens Belfort in the first leg at Kochi.
The Dynamos are unbeaten at home so far this season and will be looking to the fortress that they have built to once again push them towards victory.
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The Italian said that his players and everyone at the club were aware of how big an occasion it is for both clubs: “I know exactly that this is our last match at home, and tomorrow will be a very open match and a very difficult match.”
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The legendary full-back was under no pretentions as he said he expected a tough challenge from an opposition full of confidence: “ Kerala is a very strong team, and the only thing I have told my players is that they must have a positive attitude in order to have a good game tomorrow.”
Zambrotta was critical in his assessment of Delhi’s performance in the first leg. “I analysed the last match and we have to get better regarding the way we play tomorrow and keeping possession of the ball is important.”
In the first leg, Delhi were flat and there was no rhythm about anything that they did going forward. Marcelinho, Florent Malouda and Richard Gadze never really got into the game as the experience of Aaron Hughes and Cedric Hengbart helped Kerala snuff out any danger.
The World Cup-winner also said that it would be dangerous for Delhi to focus on just one player from the Kerala team instead of playing the opposition as a whole entity. He said, “I think it is not just any specific player. Kerala have a very good team and it is not about a specific player. They have Belfort, [Duckens] Nazon but we have got to focus on the whole team as they are good.”
The 39-year old was coy in his response to whether he was thinking of making any changes to the team that lost in Kochi. In the most cliched manner possible, Zambrotta said, “I don’t have any specific change for tomorrow and I have not yet told the players regarding the starting eleven, and I will not give any more information now.”
Delhi will derive confidence from having beaten Kerala at home earlier this season, but this is a completely different stage and occasion for all the players and it will eventually come down to who best handles the pressure.
