Delhi Dynamos faces the toughest phase of its Hero 2016 ISL campaign at home against a resurgent Kerala Blasters at the Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
The 0-1 away defeat in the first leg of the semifinal must hurt Dynamos, which had a lot to boast of in its journey to the decisive stage of the tournament. The team obviously faces the pressure to stay in the competition but the comforting thought of not having lost a match at home is the galvanising factor for coach Zambrotta.
Zambrotta has brought a refreshingly aggressive streak to the Dynamos style with lot of emphasis on tactical supremacy. A formidable outfit at home, Dynamos has its role cut out. The Kerala Blasters has an advantage but the drive to win the title is far more pronounced in the Dynamos ranks.
The trio of Kean Lewis, Marcelinho and Gadze lends a furious force to the attacking instincts of Dynamos. The skills and experience that Marcelinho brings to the middle makes him a potentially dangerous man upfront with Gadze ever-lurking to finish a move.
Slender advantage
For Kerala Blasters coach Steve Coppell the narrow advantage of a goal in the first leg was an invigorating thought. “Delhi [is] a good side and for us just to get our noses in front was important,” he had remarked at the end of the 1-0 win in Kochi on Sunday.
The presence and form of Haitian striker Kervens Belfort gives Kerala Blasters the hope of getting past Dynamos on the latter's home turf. It is bound to fall back on the pair of Aaron Hughes and Cedric Hengbart in the defence, a key area keeping in mind the flair that Dynamos has upfront.
The teams realise they are a mere step away from the title clash. It adds to the excitement one can expect from the Dynamos-Blasters encounter on a predictably cold evening.
Comments
SHARE