"In this fixture somehow the home team is always the favorite" - Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic

Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic expects every game to be a tough affair for his side at this stage of the season, with the upcoming away fixture against Bengaluru FC being no exception as the hosts have always had the upper hand in it over the years.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the much-anticipated away clash against the Blues, the 46-year-old said:

"In this fixture somehow it happens that the home team is always the favorite. But we are in the last phase of the competition and every game whether home or away is going to be tough."

The Men in Yellow, who are yet to win an ISL game in Bengaluru, will be hoping to change their fortunes when they meet Gerard Zaragoza's men at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, a place that does not hold good memories for the visitors.

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"We want to have the mindset of winning every game" - Ivan Vukomanovic

In the four matches they have played so far since the league restarted, Kerala Blasters FC have won just one game, with the other three matches ending in defeats.

With the team being fresh from a sensational 4-2 comeback victory over FC Goa in Kochi, Ivan Vukomanovic feels that a winning mindset is what his side needs to achieve positive results in the remaining fixtures. Highlighting the importance of securing three points despite being affected by several injuries, the gaffer asserted:

"In this league, we have seen that the position on the table doesn't matter. So, it is now all about the mindset and we want to have the mindset of winning every game, a mindset of wanting to stay at the top end of the table. It's a weird period where teams are trying to recover injured players and even the Indian players who went to the Asian Cup aren't in their best rhythm. So, anything can happen. We have to improvise and find a way to get points."

Passionate fans of the club have always been behind their team, and the bossman feels it will be no different on Saturday evening in the Garden City. The Serbian, who was optimistic about crowd support during the game, further went on to add:

"Of course, we would like to see the fans come in huge numbers. We always have their support. When we see them we want to fight for the fans. Let's hope we have a nice game and let the better team win."

Kerala Blasters FC are currently placed fifth in the ongoing 2023-24 ISL points table with 29 points from 16 matches, trailing league leaders Odisha FC by six points. Although they are well positioned to reach this season's playoffs, the three-time runners-up have to consistently come up with match-winning performances in the remaining games to achieve their dream of winning an elusive ISL title.