Chennai, Jan 26 (IANS): Chennaiyin FC Head coach Thomas Brdaric wants his side to concentrate and work on maximising the most of their opportunities when the team travels to Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru to take on Bengaluru FC in a highly anticipated southern derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 on Saturday.
This will be the second league meeting between the two sides this season after their earlier encounter saw a 10-man Chennaiyin FC come back to secure a 1-1 draw at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
"I'm really looking forward to the match on Saturday against Bengaluru FC. They had good results in the last weeks, and they have pretty good players and an experienced coach. The team must show very good concentration and good pressing as they (the opposition) have some strengths," said coach Brdaric on the eve of the game.
"We have to be very attentive so that we don't lose the ball in some tight and narrow situations. We have some really good patterns we worked on, and if we deny our opposition like the last games and reduce mistakes in a row, it could be a good result for us," he added.
The Chennaiyin unit has looked rejuvenated in recent fixtures, and the two-time ISL champions put on a stellar defensive display in their last match against ATK Mohun Bagan, which ended in a 0-0 draw at home, and are keen to get back to winning ways.
"We're just missing the goal. It's very important for me to see during the week that we have a sureness in our doings and making decisions in a game and with different approaches. The most important thing is that the players feel well on the field and confident, ensuring they have a good mindset.
We try to work in all sessions to go on maximum and to be prepared for the battle on Saturday because we want to chase these first six places. We are close, but we can play better," said Brdaric.
Chennaiyin FC's star fullback Ajith Kumar who has an impressive 66 tackles and 26 interceptions in 1099 minutes this season, was also present at the press conference.
Asked about his brilliant rise in form after a difficult start to the season, the defender commented "Indeed, I was constantly learning and progressing and getting better with every game, and you can see the improvement. I'm always going to try to give my best and hopefully put up a better show"
Being full of praise for Ajith, the head coach said, "Ajith is a very humble guy, and I appreciate his commitment. He's a big potential player, and we can be proud to have him in our team. He knows where we have to work to be better."
On the other hand, Bengaluru FC are coming off a 3-0 win against Jamshedpur FC and are only two points ahead of Chennaiyin FC, having played one more game.
With the league approaching its business end and the battle for the playoff spots heating up, the Marina Machans will be determined to grab all three points and consolidate their charge for a top-six finish.