HYDERABAD: The Hero I-League title race is heating up with every passing round, and with just five games to go, current table-toppers Sreenidi Deccan cannot afford any slip-ups. On Sunday, February 19, 2023, it’s top versus bottom as the Deccan Warriors host Sudeva Delhi at the Deccan Arena, with the kick-off slated for 3 pm IST.

Sreenidi Deccan and Sudeva Delhi are separated by 28 points on the table, which may make it seem like this contest is no match on paper. However, if there’s one thing this season has highlighted is that anybody can beat anybody. Sreenidi themselves have lost three of their four matches against teams in the bottom four.

At home, though, the Deccan Warriors are on a five-game winning streak, beating Rajasthan United 2-0 last time out. Addressing the media at the pre-match press conference, head coach Carlos Vaz Pinto said, “It is always important to win as it gives you confidence, but most importantly the three points. Tomorrow, we have to write another chapter in our history and get three more.”

Sudeva Delhi might be at the rock bottom with just nine points in 16 games, but Sankarlal Chakraborty’s men have proved to be a tough nut to crack in recent games. They head into this game on the back of a morale-boosting 3-1 victory away to Mumbai Kenkre. Earlier this month, Sudeva also held Sreenidi’s title-rivals RoundGlass Punjab to a 1-1 draw in Delhi.

Talking about their opponents from the capital, Pinto said, “A win in their last game gave them confidence, they are motivated. We know they have got new changes, they are not the same side that we played last time but we know their style of play and their players. We respect them but at the same time we will play our game.”

His counterpart Chakraborty also spoke about the changes in the Sudeva team since he took charge of the club in December. He said, “First of all, it was important for the youth players in the club to understand the quality of the I-League. We made some changes to our plans and strategies. Slowly, we started playing well and soon the results started coming our way. However, our focus right now is to become even stronger.”

On the Sreenidi challenge, Chakraborty said, “It will be difficult to go up against the leaders but we are not afraid. We are playing better, but there is room for improvement. Tomorrow, we will give our best.”

The match between Sreenidi Deccan and Sudeva Delhi will be broadcasted live on Eurosport and Doordarshan Sports and streamed live on the Discovery Plus OTT platform at 3 pm IST