Bengaluru, Sep 18 Bengaluru FC Head Coach Gerard Zaragoza called for his side to be focused on the task at hand when former League champions Hyderabad FC visit the Kanteerava Stadium for their first fixture of the season, on Thursday.
Hyderabad, who finished bottom of the pile last season, will be keen to begin with a win under Head Coach Thangboi Singto.
"The aim is to see where we can improve from the game against East Bengal and do better. The reality is that when we faced Hyderabad FC last season, it was a difficult game. We don’t want that to happen on Thursday. We have to control and dominate. The last 20 minutes of every ISL match so far this season has been difficult for the teams, and that’s something I want to avoid," said Zaragoza, speaking to the press on the eve of the fixture.
Bengaluru began their League campaign with a 1-0 win at the Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday, with Vinith Venkatesh’s first half strike proving the difference against East Bengal FC.
The Blues ended the game with an all-Indian backline, featuring former Hyderabad FC players Nikhil Poojary and Chinglensana Singh, in addition to Rahul Bheke and Naorem Roshan Singh. At the end of the first round of ISL fixtures, the Blues are the only side to win at home.
"Kanteerava has been a fortress for us, and that’s what we are banking on. The idea is to improve and make sure that we are doing the best we can to keep moving forward in a good way. The players have to remain focused. In a league like the ISL, to win against teams who seem not ready is very important. The top teams are going to win and lose, but when you feel that a team is not ready - you sometimes need to do even more," added Zaragoza.
Hyderabad, with seasoned coach Thangboi Singto at the helm, had a busy finish before the transfer window shut, and with no team having seen much of this newly assembled side, it will be difficult to plan for them. The side that finished last in the table last season after they managed to win only one game in the previous edition.
Zaragoza confirmed that he had a fully fit squad available for selection, but for young attacker Shivaldo Singh, who remains sidelined with an injury sustained in the Durand Cup semifinal against Mohun Bagan SG.
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