Shillong, Feb 20: NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) coach Juan Pedro Benali said on Thursday the match against Bengaluru FC would be a tactical game on February 21 as Gerard Zargoza is a “tactical coach” and that NEUFC need to be stronger in defence.
Benali was addressing the media on Thursday along with the team’s top scorer Alaaeddine Ajaraie. NEUFC are set to host Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on February 21.
NEUFC’s last match in Shillong against Mumbai City FC disappointed supporters here. When asked whether the last performance was putting extra pressure on the team, Benali said, “No, there is no pressure. When you love what you do, especially play football, there is no pressure.”
NEUFC have their home record to protect, since they last suffered a 0-2 defeat here against Mumbai City FC and the previous time they faced losses in consecutive matches in their backyard, in a single season, was in February 2023. Further, the Blues have never failed to score on the road against the Highlanders, netting eight times in six matches, and a strike in this encounter will mark their longest such sequence against any opponent.
Bengaluru FC have been winless in their last four games on the road, including two defeats on the bounce. However, the Blues have had a promising goal-scoring season, having scored 36 goals, their second-highest in ISL history, with Sunil Chhetri leading the charts, courtesy of his 11 strikes.
The Blues will be buoyed by the fact that NEUFC have not won against them in their previous five meetings. The two sides have played three draws in a row and another stalemate would mark the third time the Highlanders do so four straight times against a single opponent in the ISL.
Both these teams are firmly in contention to qualify for the playoffs, as NorthEast United FC are positioned fourth with 32 points from 21 games, whereas Bengaluru FC have garnered 31 points from 20 encounters and are sixth in the table. The tussle is tough with only three points separating the Highlanders from the seventh-placed Odisha FC (29).
The Highlanders have scored the third-most goals in ISL 2024-25 (39), with over 50% of those coming through Alaaeddine Ajaraie. In their last five games, they have netted eight times – going scoreless in two encounters.
BFC coach Zargoza admitted that the team was not performing its best in January but did not comment on changing the squad for Friday’s game. “We were not consistent. We bettered our performance in the last game though. We kept a clean sheet and that should be the way we need to play to arrive in the playoffs,” he said.
