ATK looking to replicate away success

November 18, 2015 12:13 am | Updated 12:13 am IST - KOLKATA:

Defending champion Atletico de Kolkata looks to pick up from its good showing in the away matches when it takes on bottom-placed Chennaiyin FC in a Hero-ISL encounter at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Wednesday.

The return of its marquee player — Portuguese striker Helder Postiga — will cheer up the host, which now has the advantage of playing its last four league fixtures at home.

Having tallied 14 points from 10 matches, ATK is the team with the best outstation record. The holder has picked up 11 points, winning three and drawing twice in its seven away matches.

Antonio Habas, ATK’s Spanish head coach, will be looking to replicate this form at home, where his team has won one and lost two so far.

A sputtering attack has hindered the team’s progress at home despite Habas professing an aggressive approach. Injuries to key players have also limited Habas’s options.

But with the team getting a few replacements for the injured foreigners, Habas now looks better placed. “No excuses for the bad performances. Hopefully we will win tomorrow,” Habas said.

The coach said his players had not had much time to practice on the re-laid natural turf at the Salt Lake Stadium as they have been travelling a lot.

Postiga, who did not play after the first match where he scored twice to down Channaiyin 3-2, has recovered from injury and is likely to make it to the squad. Habas’s attacking options have also been enhanced by the arrival of Serbian Dejan Lekic and Spaniard midfielder Jorge Alonso Martin for the injured Josemi and Javi Lara.

Taking a cue from its southern cousin, Kerala Blasters FC which thumped NorthEast United 4-1 to escape from the foot of the table, Chennaiyin FC is hoping for a turnaround in Kolkata to reignite its campaign.

“We are yet to play to our potential, but we are hopeful of a turnaround. If we can manage two or three it can change the situation for us,” Chennaiyin’s head coach Marco Materazzi asserted ahead of the match.

Last year’s semifinalists, Blasters have managed three wins and a draw but lost five matches in the nine rounds to slump to the bottom of the current standings with 10 points. It still has five rounds to go and that is keeping Materazzi hopeful.

The visitors will be looking at the effective chemistry of Colombian Mendoza and Brazilian Elano Blumer, who have been the backbone of the team’s attack but have been struggling to find their prolific form in recent encounters.

The visitors have added midfielder Gilbert Oliveira as replacement for injured Dhanpal Ganesh to bolster its midfield.

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