"The game will be different with more contact, more fight for the second ball" - Gokulam Kerala FC head coach ahead of Mohammedan SC clash

In a top-of-the-table clash, defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC will take on Mohammedan SC in the I-League on Friday. Having played one extra game, the Black Panthers are two points ahead of the Kerala side. However, with a victory, the Malabarians could jump to the top of the pile.

Ahead of the game, GKFC head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese revealed that after the victory in their previous game, the Malabarians are high on confidence.

"The spirit in the camp is really high as we're coming from a 3-2 victory against TRAU FC. We know the importance of the game. We also want to reach a record of four consecutive victories, which hasn't been achieved before," Annese said.

Gokulam will square off against the Black Panthers at the Naihati Stadium at 8.00 pm IST on March 25. The gaffer opined that the smaller dimensions of the stadium will influence how the game plays out.

"We'll play Mohammedan at the Naihati Stadium, where the pitch is a bit short. Hence, the game will be different with more contact, more fight for the second ball and we need to play with short passes in the middle. So it will be an interesting game."

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"Everybody has been performing very well" - Gokulam Kerala FC head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese

Currently, Mohammedan SC are at the top of the points table with 15 points from six games. Gokulam Kerala FC, meanwhile, have played five matches and have 13 points. The Malabarians have won three games on the trot.

Luka Majcen has been firing on all cylinders for GKFC, having scored seven goals in four matches. Asked about his opinion on the Slovenian forward's contribution, Vincenzo Alberto said:

"Everybody has been performing very well. But yes, Luka, in particular, has been scoring a lot more goals because he's playing under me."