NorthEast United head coach Juan Pedro Benali makes bold claim ahead of Mohun Bagan clash

The Highlanders squad has been depleted due to health issues.

After clashing in the Durand Cup 2024 final, winners NorthEast United FC are set to face Mohun Bagan Super Giant in a replay of the fixture on Monday in the Indian Super League (ISL). The match will kick off at 7:30 PM at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

NorthEast United FC started the ISL season with a 1-0 win over debutants Mohammedan SC, while Mohun Bagan played a 2-2 draw in the season opener against Mumbai City FC on the 13th of September.

The Highlanders’ head coach, Juan Pedro Benali, expressed his views in the pre-match press conference held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati, ahead of their away game.

Motivation for the game

The Spanish coach mentioned that the Mariners would wait for them as they wanted revenge for the Durand Cup final. Speaking on motivation, Juan Pedro Benali said, “Playing against Mohun Bagan, you don’t need more motivation. We’re going to play against Mohun Bagan in their field again. We know that they’re waiting for us in the corner. They want revenge and that’s a motivation.”

“We are the wolves. We don’t put our arms down. That’s important. All the players, anyone,” he asserted.

Health issues in the squad

Juan Benali informed that some of the NorthEast United FC squad players were affected by the flu. Commenting on the situation, he said, “I spoke to some players who were sick this morning, they didn’t come for training, and they were nearly crying. They want to be in, and that’s the feeling, that’s the spirit we want.”

“Everybody’s ready. Everyone’s ready. Sometimes when you say the eleven before the game, and you look at the faces, and you see someone’s really sad because everyone wants to play. Especially these games,” he summarised.

On the Mariners’ playing style

Talking about his approach to the game, Juan Pedro Benali said that the team understands the playing style of Mohun Bagan very well. He opined that the Mariners consist of very good players. “They will try their best to go over us. Our job is to make it as difficult as possible for them,” he stated.

Referring to a question about changing the style of play by the Mohun Bagan team, Benali elaborated, “We know their weakness. The thing is for us to understand the game plan and just execute it. I don’t think they will have a lot of time to change a lot of things. Even if they try to change, it will not be 100% accurate.”

“Every coach wins on the board. But on the field, it’s something different. It depends on many things. It depends on the teams. It depends on the referees. It depends on many small battles. What happens inside the field will make the difference,” Juan Pedro Benali concluded.

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