You have to deserve the luck you get, Ivan Vukomanovic asserts

The Blasters will carry a narrow lead into the second leg of they playoff against the Men of Steel.

Kerala Blasters edged past Jamshedpur FC 1-0 in the first leg of the first semi-final of the Indian Super League. It was a game that saw most of the events in the middle third of the pitch. Sahal Abdul Samad came through for Ivan Vukomanovic's men with a chip over the goalkeeper. Ivan Vukomanovic met with the media to discuss the game and his strategies for the second leg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Nw-23aX4E

Staying Grounded

Kerala Blasters know they might have won the first leg, but there's all to play for in the second. Jamshedpur are still alive and can hurt them as much as they could have before the first leg. So, it is important for Vukomanovic that they take all the inputs from this game and prepare for the next.

"It's only one game. When you play competitive football in the knockout phase, it's about 180 minutes. It's not just about one game. So, I think this victory not just gives us the idea of the way, maybe we should change certain things, but also gives us many question marks for the next games. Because it will be similar. It will be physical. It will be a fight," Ivan Vukomanovic suggested.

Earning your luck

Kerala Blasters could have conceded as many as three goals in the first half. However, thankfully for them, the Jamshedpur FC forwards looked out of sorts. They missed opportunities they didn't miss throughout the league phase. When the Blasters' moment came, Sahal was there to get Ivan Vukomanovic something from the game to take in the next leg. But, the Serbian doesn't see themselves as a team that got lucky.

"In every football game, there are many special moments. In the first half in the very beginning, we were not that concentrated like we were later. But, we needed that couple of moments and minutes to get into the game. When you face an opponent like Jamshedpur, it is hard.

"It is physical and difficult and you've to be ready for everything. So, of course, in the first half there were moments that we had luck. But, I firmly believe that luck is something you must deserve. You must work very hard to be lucky. So, tonight that was the case. At the end of the game, we just have to continue and prepare," the 44-year-old manager explained.

Same game, different atmosphere

Ivan Vukomanovic believes that the second leg wouldn't be any different than the first. Same teams will compete using the same styles of play, since they have very little time to make changes in the training.

"After the new year, there was never time to prepare. After the COVID outbreak, we reduced our training program to a minimum. Now, tomorrow will be recovery day and then a refreshing day. Then one training preparation for the game. So, it will be the same. We will see quite a similar game. But, it will be a different environment because we will be playing in the Tilak Maidan," the Serbian tactician quipped.

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