Buoyed by an unbeaten start and sitting at the 3rd spot in the standings, the Highlanders will go head to head against Bengaluru FC at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday. With 2 clean sheets in 4, and 2 hard fought draws sandwiched in between, the Highlanders will be looking forward to continuing the good work and getting one over BFC in order to claim the top spot in the table.
Khassa Camara, Dylan Fox, Apuia Ralte and Benjamin Lambot have each put in Player of the Match performances in our first 4 games helping our rise to the 3rd spot in the table. These players will be crucial to our fortunes going into a fixture that has traditionally not been too kind to the Highlanders. Coach Gerard Nus will take heart from the fact that attackers VP Suhair and Rochharzela came to the party last time round and Provat Lakra and Mashoor Shereef also proved reliable options in the defence. These options will be crucial as we go deeper into the tournament as fixtures begin to pile up. Our opponents on the night brushed off a slow start to their campaign with a statement win over last year’s finalists Chennaiyin FC. Their organization on the pitch is second to none and in Sunil Chettri, they have a player who has an excellent record against the Highlanders.
Speaking to the media ahead of the much anticipated clash, Coach Gerard Nus said, “The principles of our style will not change because we believe in those principles. Of course, we also take into consideration the opponent. It is well known that Bengaluru is really strong in set pieces. So we are going to be prepared in the best way possible,"
Khassa Camara, who joined Coach Gerard at the conference, said that he was extremely satisfied with the kind of quality he has experienced in the league so far and also spoke highly of his midfield partner Apuia, who he feels can go a long way.
Key Talking Points
- 3 points will see the Highlanders go top of the HERO ISL Table.
- Federico Gallego has 2 goals in 4 starts against the Blues from Bengaluru
Sunil Chettri has 6 goals and 2 assists against the Highlanders
- The Highlanders have 1 draw and 1 win in the last 5 fixtures against Bengaluru FC