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NorthEast United FC head coach Juan Pedro Benali has said that every game his side will be playing from hereon is going to be crucial for their qualification for the 2023-24 ISL playoffs.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Highlanders' away fixture against Jamshedpur FC on Wednesday, January 31, the Spaniard said (via ISL's official website):
"For us, every game is important, every game is a final. We try to do as best as we can and most importantly, get a good result. We won't think about the past, we are only looking at the future. It will be a totally different game on Wednesday. This will be the fifth game we will play against Jamshedpur FC this season. We will give our best."
"Jamshedpur FC are a strong team with very good players" - Juan Pedro Benali
The second half of the ongoing edition of the ISL commences on Wednesday (January 31) with Khalid Jamil's Jamshedpur FC hosting NorthEast United FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex.
The last time these two sides met each other in this ISL season, Juan Pedro Benali's men emerged victorious. They won the dramatic duel, 2-1, despite being a goal down until the 94th minute of the game in Guwahati.
Expecting a tough match when they meet in the return fixture in Jamshedpur, the 54-year-old opened up by saying:
"Jamshedpur FC are a strong team with very good players. They are a team that will make it difficult for you to play. It will be a good game between two tough teams."
About the much-anticipated arrival of two new signings — forward Tomi Juric and defender Hamza Regragui — during the January transfer window, the bossman added:
"They are slowly trying to be part of the team. They must be welcomed by the team and the fans and I hope they give us the push we need for the last 10 games of the ISL"
Having finished three points behind Jamshedpur FC in Group B, NorthEast United FC failed to make it to the semifinals of the recently concluded 2024 Indian Super Cup in Bhubaneswar.
In the 2023-24 ISL points table though, they are currently at the sixth spot with 12 points from as many matches. With ten more league matches to be played before the playoff stage begins, they will be hoping to secure the maximum points possible from each game to further increase their hopes of making it to the playoffs.
Jamshedpur, meanwhile, are in the 10th place with nine points from 12 matches.
