Gokulam Kerala head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese expects the match against
Sudeva
on Tuesday to be the toughest of their
I-League
campaign.
Even as league leaders
Churchill Brothers
await them next week, Annese wants to consolidate Gokulam's place in the playoffs with three points from the ninth-round match.
Gokulam are fourth in the table with 13 points while Sudeva that has also played eight matches are ninth with nine points. Considering the teams will be split into two groups - top six vying for the title and bottom five playing to avoid relegation - after the completion of ten rounds, Annese, it seems, is hoping to avoid a nail-biter against Churchill.
"Now I don't think about reaching the first position in the table, we need this win (against Sudeva) to enter the playoffs," said the Gokulam head coach in his pre-match press conference on Monday.
Gokulam have won two matches on the trot, scoring seven times and conceding just once while Sudeva lost 0-2 to
Neroca
last week. However, Annese considers the New Delhi-based newcomers a formidable opposition and has urged his players to score early and be aggressive throughout.
"Their mentality is to play with confidence because they don't have to worry about relegation and play without the pressure," said the Italian. Sudeva are immune to relegation this season having secured a direct entry to the league.
Gokulam are the top scorers in the league having netted 17 times through nine different players. Young Kerala striker Emil Benny will be hoping to score for the third match in succession.
Meanwhile, Sudeva realised the playoff is within reach as they are just three points shy of TRAU in sixth place. "We've only one thing in our mind - to win both games and qualify for the top-six," said Sudeva head coach Chencho Dorji.
The match will kickoff at 4 pm at the Kalyani Stadium in Kolkata.
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