ISL 2022-23: Chennaiyin FC striker Sliskovic looks to carry forward his form against Mumbai City
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Dec 22, 2022, 7:16 PM ISTChenniyin FC forward Petar Sliskovic has been in red-hot form, having scored five goals from 10 matches—jointly third highest in the on-going ISL 2022-23 season.
In-form striker Petar Sliskovic of Chennaiyin FC is eager to score when his team plays Mumbai City FC on Saturday at the Mumbai Football Arena as part of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022–23 away game.
The Croatian forward has been on fire, scoring five goals in ten games, which ranks third most in the current season. During his 808 total minutes on the field, he has also assisted in three goals.
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“If you are a striker and you score, it gives you confidence every time. I hope I can score against Mumbai City. I think we work very well in the front and need to work more in the defending. We have scored the second most goals in the league,” Sliskovic commented while addressing the media in a pre-match press conference in Chennai on Thursday.
Another player who has made a significant contribution to Chennaiyin's success this season is Abdenasser El Khayati. With seven goals this year, he leads the league in goal scoring. The Dutch star will not be available for Chennaiyin's match against Mumbai City due to an injury, though.
Thomas Brdaric, the head coach of Chennaiyin, acknowledged the defeat but insisted that his team must concentrate on the players who are healthy.
“He [El Khayati] was in very good shape. But now we have to see how we can face Mumbai City with those players who are fit. I’m happy that [Anirudh] Thapa and Jiteshwor [Singh] are fit. They have invested a lot to bounce back into the squad. We have to look ahead and be confident that we can catch points in Mumbai,” the 47-year-old German tactician said.
Mumbai City had beaten Chennaiyin during their first meeting of the season but the Marina Machans will be eager to make up for that loss this time around.
“We know about the strengths of Mumbai City; they are in the first position [on the points table]. They are favourites but we want to go there and take points. They use opportunities and exploit them very well. That’s why we want to go there and try to break down what they do with their strengths.
“We have to be very careful. We have to face them very aggressively and not allow them to exploit opportunities. Our objective is to create chances. In the last match we came in position but unfortunately, we missed good opportunities. In football, if you take your chances and score, you’re at an advantage.”
Chennaiyin and Mumbai City are currently the top 2 most scoring teams of the season.
Head-to-Head: Matches: 17, CFC: 6, MCFC: 8 Draw: 3
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