AIFF Media Team
KOLKATA: Quess East Bengal (QEB) will host Shillong Lajong FC at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Thursday, February 14, 2019, knowing fully well, that a slip-up at this stage of the tantalising-poised League would put their hopes of the maiden title pursuit to rest.
With Shillong also in a hot streak of form and looking to get out of relegation zone, the high-pressure game is scheduled for a 5 PM IST kick-off under lights at what is locally more popularly known as the Salt Lake stadium.
The hosts are on 28 points from 14 games with leaders Chennai City FC on 34, having two games more. A win on Thursday will take QEB into third place. Shillong are the bottom-placed side at the moment, having earned just 10 points from 15 completed games.
QEB go into the game having won three on the trot, but Shillong have also notched up two impressive victories against teams such as former champions Churchill Brothers and defending champions Minerva Punjab FC in their last two games, which is sure to boost the confidence of the talented youngsters of the Allison Kharsyntiew coached side.
The coach displayed sound understanding of the strength of his side when he commented in the pre-match presser, “We have a belief that we can definitely score and give our best for tomorrow’s game. East Bengal is a very good team they and have skilled players, but we have to try for the three points.”
“Our strategy will be teamwork and to play attacking football. We have to work very hard to be in a better position on the points table. Just hoping the boys to score more goals in tomorrow’s match.”
Scoring has seldom been a problem for Shillong’s attack-minded side, however, it is a leaky defence that has been their undoing this season, conceding a whopping 39 goals, 14 more than the next highest conceder.
QEB, however, are looking solid and Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez Garcia looks to have put together a solid side with most bases plugged.
On every key game parameter- they are the third highest scorers, the third lowest conceders and are third on the list of most clean sheets- QEB have been right up there, notching up seven wins in their last nine games with a solitary loss to league leaders Chennai.
Garcia’s attacking force looks mean and menacing now with the league’s highest Indian scorer Jobby Justin, a back-from-injury slimmer and trimmer Enrique Esqueda and young Spaniard Jamie Santos Colado along with Laldanmawia Ralte, meaning serious business every time they foray forward.
Justin, in fact, scored the first two of his eight goals in the first leg away fixture against Shillong, where QEB triumphed 3-1.
Garcia’s thoroughly professional approach was evident in the pre-game press conference where he commented, “We have to respect the opponent. They have been having good results and we think that if we don’t respect the opponent, we won’t be winning the match. Have been thinking about tomorrow’s match only and not about the final day.”
“Shillong team’s strong point is they try to have more ball possession and have many players in the centre and make combination passes. Their strikers are fast and have good control of the ball.”
The QEB supporters have sensed something and will be there in numbers to back their side and Shillong will do well not to concede more than they score if they do.
