Kerala Blasters FC head coach not concerned with the first-leg result against Jamshedpur FC in the ISL play-offs

Kerala Blasters FC will take on Jamshedpur FC in the second-leg of their two-legged tie in the 2021-22 ISL play-offs. The Yellow Tuskers managed to edge past the Red Miners, courtesy of a Sahal Abdul Samad goal in the first leg. However, the encounter was majorly dominated by Owen Coyle's side.

Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic and defender Marko Leskovic addressed the media through a virtually held press-conference ahead of their second-leg meeting against Jamshedpur FC. Vukomanovic did not seem too worried about the result of the first-leg and believes it will have little to no effects on his team's performance in the second-leg. He said:

"We are not even looking at the result of the last game. In games that span 180 minutes, a one-goal lead doesn't guarantee anything. Tomorrow's game is a new one and will be like a final for us. We have to play with concentration. In such matches, you have to take into account many things. We already forgot about the last match. Tomorrow we will start as if the result is 0-0. We don't expect anybody to help us. We always expect our upcoming games to be tougher fights than the last game."

The Blasters' head coach was not bothered by the post-match comments made by the Jamshedpur FC coach on the celebrations by the players after scoring. According to Vukomanovic, every game and every goal had the same feeling for him and his players. He said:

"Actually, we celebrate every game like that. Every game for us is a fight. We are not the favorites and we won against a side that had seven victories in a row, won the league and it's a good achievement. None of our achievements have been offered to us. We had to fight for it."

---

Kerala Blasters FC defender Marko Leskovic enjoying partnership with Ruivah Hormipam

Ruivah Hormipam has had an excellent outing for the Yellow Tuskers so far in ISL 2021-22. The young defender nullified the threats from Jamshedpur FC's Daniel Chima Chukwu and Greg Stewart for the entire duration of the first-leg encounter. His partner in defense, Marko Leskovic, praised his colleague's work ethic, saying:

"He is a very good player and a solid defender. He works hard in training and plays well in every game."

The next leg will definitely prove to be a litmus test for Kerala Blasters FC, who are looking to book their berth for the ISL Final.