Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza has heaped praise on Odisha FC's defensive midfielder Ahmed Jahouh, terming him as the 'best player in the ISL'. Bengaluru FC will be hosting Sergio Lobera's men on Saturday, March 30, as the ISL action resumes after the international break.
Speaking highly about the visitors at the pre-match press conference, Zaragoza stressed the importance of coming up with a strong performance in the defense against the likes of two good strikers like Roy Krishna and Diego Mauricio. He said:
"Of course, we need to defend because they have two very good strikers (Roy Krishna and Diego Mauricio) who scored lots of goals. They have Ahmed Jahouh, for me, who is the best player in this league. We need to be aware of them. My team needs to be ready for defense as well as for attack."
"We know that we will have our supporters behind us" - Gerard Zaragoza
All five victories of Bengaluru FC so far in this ISL season have come at their fortress - Sree Kanteerava Stadium. An optimistic Zaragoza asserted that despite a strong Odisha FC challenge, the winning streak at home will continue on Saturday evening given the backing of the club's passionate supporters.
The Blues' gaffer further added about the style of play which they implemented in their ISL fixture against the Kerala Blasters FC at home earlier this month. Zaragoza also opened up on what he wants from the team in the upcoming clash against the Kalinga Warriors:
"Odisha FC is a very good team, with strong individuals and a very good coach, but we know that we will have our supporters behind us. We always try to be protagonists in the game, trying to keep up the work, to attack, and to be as spectacled as we can. We did this against Kerala Blasters FC.
"We try to arrive at the opponent's box as much as we can, to play a cross, and go inside the box with many players (upfront). And that’s the idea."
The Spaniard also expressed that given the potential of centre-back Shivaldo Singh, the 19-year-old defender has a great future that lies ahead of him. But the boss insisted Shivaldo has to further improvise his game to reach greater heights:
"He (Shivaldo Singh) is almost new at this professional level. He is now knocking at the door and jumping a lot of steps. But he needs to improve every single day. It’s just a start for him. He has a lot of future and a lot of potential. It’s time for him to work, to understand, and to learn from the coaches and the other players. And I’m sure he has a great future."
Bengaluru FC are currently placed seventh in the ongoing 2023-24 ISL points table with 21 points from 19 matches. They still have three more matches out of which two are at home - against Odisha FC on March 30 and Mohun Bagan Super Giant on April 11. Given their home record this season, last ISL season's runners-up still have a bright chance of making it to the top six and sealing their playoff berth.