Delhi Dynamos FC and FC Goa come face to face in a bottom-of-the-table clash as both sides look to improve their respective positions in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) on Thursday.
The Dynamos were being tipped for greatness in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League due to them having such a strong squad on paper.
With the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Mads Junker and Morten Skoubo in the squad, the Feneryood-affiliated club were expected to blow their opponents away, with Dutch Harm van Veldhoven initially firing a warning that his side would be looking to outscore their opponents in each and every fixture.
However, the task ahead of them seems to be a daunting one considering that the Dynamos are currently struggling in the midway season of the ISL, managing only a single win in their first seven fixtures and scoring only six goals thus far.
Many feel that Dynamos' lack of goals in the ISL has been a result of their squad having too many ageing players.
But Delhi's stand-in coach, Mark Luijpers insists that age has got nothing to do with Dynamos' poor performances in front of the goal this season.
"Age has got nothing to do with it," Luijpers said. "We have one young striker and the rest are very experienced players. We are very happy with our strikers. For scoring goals, you also need a little bit of luck. In the last game we had good chances but we couldn't finish. Tomorrow is a new game and we have to score."
Luijpers, who blamed injuries for Delhi's defeat to Goa in the reverse fixture at the Fatorda Stadium, says that his players will be looking to get revenge against Zico's side on Thursday.
"We also had some injury problems during the game and then conceded a last-minute goal. So, now the players want revenge," he added.
Dynamos marquee signing Del Piero also says that he and his teammates are desperate for a win on Thursday.
"My mind is completely concentrated on tomorrow's match and we have to win," the former Juventus striker told ISL's official website, indiansuperleague.com.
Meanwhile, like Delhi, FC Goa have also been very disappointing in the inaugural season of ISL as they are currently at the bottom of the table, with five points from their first seven fixtures.
Apart from their rare win against the Dynamos, Zico's side have been unable to get positive results in their other fixtures, where they have recorded two draws and four defeats.
And Goa boss Zico feels that a lot of factors have contributed to his side's poor run in the debut season of the Indian Super League.
"In the beginning we had lost a few players to injuries. In several matches we had many opportunities to score but we could not finish. We made mistakes in very crucial moments of some games that cost us the points," the Brazilian legend said.
Despite saying that Goa will be hoping for a win on Thursday, the 61-year-old boss insists that their win against Delhi in the reverse fixture does not give them an advantage.
"This is a meaningful game for us. The situation we are in, we are hoping to get a win. Even though we won against Delhi Dynamos in our first encounter with them, this does not give us any advantage. It will be a level game and we both are in the same situation," he added.
Where to Watch Live
The ISL match is scheduled for a 7 pm IST (2.30 pm BST, 9.30 am ET) start with live TV coverage in India provided by a lot of channels including Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD2, Star Sports 3, Star Gold, Asianet Movies, Suvarna Channel and Jalsha Movies. Viewers can also watch the ISL match via free live streaming online on Starsports.com.
US viewers can live stream the action on FoxSoccer2go, while Europe viewers can catch the action live on Eurosport or their online Player. Middle East and North Africa viewers can watch the game on Bein Sports or via live streaming on Bein Sports Connect.
South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa audience can catch the ISL match live onSuperSport or their online option. Australia viewers can catch the match live on Fox Sports 2 or via their live video option, online.
