Yet to find the back of the net in two matches, host Chennaiyin FC will be more than eager to get full points when it takes on ATK, which has scored the most number of goals so far (six from two), in their Indian Super League encounter at the Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
ATK came back strongly after the 2-1 loss to Kerala Blasters in its opening match, with a 5-0 drubbing of Hyderabad FC where its forwards showed their potency. Its striker Roy Krishna, backed adequately by winger M. Soosairaj, forward David Williams and midfielder Javier Hernandez, didn’t waste many chances.
John Gregory, Chennaiyin’s head coach, knows that he has a tough task on hand. “With Krishna and Williams they are difficult to keep quiet. They have come from the A-League [in Australia] where they have done pretty well. But we are confident going into the match. Defensively we are very pleased. I hope that it is something we can continue to do this season,” Gregory said at the pre-match press conference here on Tuesday.
ATK’s head coach Antonio Lopez had earlier said he was not taking Chennaiyin lightly. “Chennaiyin not scoring so far is a statistic which is not important for me. The 90 minutes are important. Two matches are never similar. With this mentality, we have to face Chennaiyin,” the Spaniard said. “(Chennaiyin is) dangerous. I don’t know Chennaiyin now, but I remember them from the past. It is a strong opponent,” he said.
