Messi-led Argentina national team to play in Kerala next year
World Cup-winning Argentinian football team led by iconic Lionel Messi will play in Kochi next year, Kerala State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman announced on Wednesday.
Chennaiyin FC will be aiming to seal their place in the Hero Super Cup semi-finals when they take on Mumbai City FC in a high-voltage Group D clash at the Payyanad Stadium here on Wednesday.
Having secured a win and a draw in their two group games so far, Chennaiyin currently occupy the top spot in the table with four points. NorthEast United FC and Mumbai City are placed second and third respectively with three points each whereas Churchill Brothers (1 point) are in last place in a group, which is currently wide open with three of the four teams having a chance to progress.
A win against Mumbai City will earn Chennaiyin direct qualification but, in case of a draw, they will have to rely on the result of the match between NorthEast United and Churchill Brothers, also scheduled on Wednesday.
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Chennaiyin head coach Thomas Brdaric expects a big challenge from Mumbai City in a virtual do-or-die contest but said his side knows how to deal with the Islanders as both the teams are part of the ISL and have faced each other many times.
“I expect a big challenge [from Mumbai City]. We have an advantage with four points but we have to win and that will be the approach. They are a champion team; they have good players but the team looks different.”
“We know how to deal with Mumbai City, we have already played against them. We need to be careful about their strengths and deny them using their qualities on the field,” Brdaric said ahead of the crucial game.
The Marina Machans, which is the only remaining unbeaten team in Group D, could not convert the chances against Churchill Brothers in their last game, which eventually ended in a goalless draw.
However, Brdaric put his weight behind his men and further added: “We did a lot of things right. Yes, in games it happens that you create a lot of chances and don’t convert. It happens in all leagues in the world. In the last match, we showed that we can score. We need to be determined and I am convinced that we can score against Mumbai City.”
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