Juan Pedro Benali talks about NEUFC's goal-scoring form, injuries, and consecutive draws

Juan Pedro Benali’s side’s goal-scoring form seems to have come to a halt in the new year
Juan Pedro Benali’s NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) played out a goalless draw against 10-man Kerala Blasters FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. This is the fourth consecutive draw for the Highlanders in January 2025.
The draw journey of NorthEast United FC started against Mohammedan SC on the 3rd of January. After that, the team played draws against Punjab FC, FC Goa, and today against Kerala Blasters FC. Currently, the team, in 17 matches, with six wins, seven draws, and four losses, sits in fifth position with 25 points.
Happy to earn a point in Kochi
Juan Pedro Benali, the head coach of NEUFC, shared his opinion about the current situation of the club. Answering a question about playing a goalless draw against 10-men Kerala Blasters, the Spanish gaffer said, “I see the bottle half full; I don’t see it half empty. I’m taking a point against Kerala Blasters, who were winning the last four games. They played very good football and have great players, and a very good coach.”
Juan Pedro Benali added that the team is slowly improving, and he is happy that his team won a point in a place like Kochi.
On Not Scoring Goals
After defeating Mumbai City FC by a 0-3 scoreline, the Highlanders have found it difficult to score goals. In the last four matches, the team has scored two goals and played two goalless draws.
The Spanish tactician opined that the players need to be very calm when talking about this. Praising Kerala Blasters’ defending, he said, “We were not that calm. We were very anxious to score the first goal, and it didn’t happen. We need to be calmer, take the ball side to side, and try to open them. We tried all the time to penetrate, arriving at the side, just crossing.”
“We need that experience to calm down, especially in games like this. We are used to playing to space; we are used to attacking the spaces. When we face a team waiting for us at the back, we get in a hurry, thinking we are dominating, and we are in a hurry all the time to score. This is what happened,” Juan Pedro Benali added.
Injury Updates
The Spanish gaffer informed that Mayakkannan Muthu, one of the key players in the defensive midfield for the Highlanders, is out of the squad as he sustained an injury to his foot in the last game against FC Goa. “He travelled with us; we gave him three days without touching the ball, and yesterday we did the test. He cannot touch the ball. He has too much pain, and this is why we took him out.”
The Spanish gaffer also shared that Mohammed Ali Bemammer, who was substituted out after halftime, also sustained an injury to his hip in the match. “We are going to do the test now to see how he is. He is in too much pain, but we hope he is fine,” Juan Pedro Benali said.
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