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After losing to NorthEast United FC on Wednesday, Delhi Dynamos FC is gearing up for probably the most exciting contest of the ISL-3 till now. The Lions, playing their third game in just six days, will challenge Mumbai City FC in their own backyard at the Mumbai Football Arena tonight.
With a brilliant attacking game and domination over opponents, both the teams have easily looked the best sides this season losing only three games till now. The match is expected to be a mouth-watering contest and a perfect setting to decide the table topper of the league phase.
The last time these two sides met was when Delhi Dynamos hosted Mumbai City FC, and it turned out to be an epic clash. The Lions displayed immense grit and determination to secure a 3-3 draw after twice being two goals behind in the match. The five games thus far between the two sides have resulted in one win for the Lions, two for Mumbai City while two matches have ended in draws.
Delhi Dynamos previous game in the league saw them come up short against NorthEast United FC in Guwahati, as the Highlanders eked out a 2-1 win. Talking about the shock defeat at the pre-match conference, Delhi Dynamos FC Head Coach Gianluca Zambrotta said, “We played with very low intensity against NorthEast United. So, we have to play this match with high intensity, run together as a team and show some good attitude in order to do well in the next match as well as the semifinals.”
The Italian World Cup winner acknowledged the attacking prowess of Mumbai City FC and added, “Mumbai City FC likes to attack and we have also scored a lot of goals in the tournament. It will be an exciting match for both the teams and if we manage to play the way we know, it will be a good game. We’ll try to win tomorrow and finish the group stages as the first placed team in the league standings.”
Zambrotta’s men have already booked their spot in the semifinals, the second time in two years running. The Lions sit comfortably in the second spot with 20 points from 13 games, winning and drawing five games each. Talking about the team’s campaign thus far, Zambrotta said, “I feel that we have a done a very good job in this tournament until now and we have to focus on finishing the first part of the tournament in the best way. And we would like to continue the good work for the second part of the tournament – the semifinals.”
When asked about the performance of the Indian players in the Delhi Dynamos squad, Zambrotta said, “I’m very happy about the performance of our Indian players. If compared with the pre-season, they have grown up tremendously till now. As a coach, the most important thing for me is that they want to learn, and that is a very good quality.”
Currently placed at the top of the table, Mumbai City FC is two points ahead of Delhi Dynamos from their 13 encounters, winning six, drawing four and losing three times. The clash between the two will determine which side will finish the league stages at the top of the table and carry much-needed confidence and momentum into the semifinals.
