Chennaiyin FC will hope to keep their good form going as the Marco Materazzi managed side travel to Pune to face FC Pune City on Sunday. Chennaiyin have won their last two games and have climbed up to the third spot in the league table with the chance to go on top with another victory on the road.
Materazzi spoke about a host of issues in his pre-match press conference ranging from his team's previous performances to the fatigue in the squad.
Also Read: Interview with Hans Mulder: Chennaiyin FC star says fantasy goal would be a volley in the ISL final
Analysing Chennaiyin’s previous matches, the Italian said, “The loss against Delhi Dynamos was my mistake as I should have done better with tactics and team composition as we didn't play as my teams generally play. But we learned from our mistakes and are on the right track I believe. We regret that we lost two points in our first game against Kolkata as we are the better team on the night.”
The game against FC Pune City will be Chennai's second game in four days and the manager had no complaints about it and said that this is the format of the league and everyone knows from the beginning about the demanding competition.
Materazzi revealed that their starting lineup will have some changes, “We can't play with the same players in the gap between four days. It may force us to change our formation but it is a must if we want to avoid injuries in the long run.”
Also Read: ISL: Habas boost for floundering Pune ahead of Chennaiyin test
When asked about their opponents, FC Pune City, Materazzi said that he has a lot of respect for the Stallions and their manager Antonio Habas, “He is a great coach and is a proven manager in ISL. His record in the league speaks for itself but we will be calm and focused on the task in our hands. We will see who wins tomorrow as my team is ready for a tough match.”
Chennaiyin won a hard fought games against Mumbai thanks to a Davide Succi winner and had earlier beaten FC Goa 2-0 convincingly at home. Pune City, on the other hand, drew against Kerala Blasters scoring their first home goal and also earning their first point at home. The Stallions will also be pleased to have manager Antonio Habas back on the touchline as he completes his ban that he received last season.
