Bengaluru FC have developed a great mentality of playing and winning knockout tournaments ever since their inception. The Blues will be gearing up for another such knockout game in the Super Cup semifinals when they will face Jamshedpur FC at the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode on Friday.
Jamshedpur FC have played really well in this tournament. They have progressed to the semifinals ahead of ATK Mohun Bagan and FC Goa. The Men of Steel have the momentum with them as they are coming off three consecutive wins but the Blues have that big-match mentality which will help them going forward.
Bengaluru FC coach Simon Grayson is very confident as the players approach this tie on the back of a four-day break. Grayson believes that the break was required to recharge the batteries and go back into the semifinal clash with that much enthusiasm.
“I think it’s a welcome break for us and the other teams as well. It helped us to recharge our batteries a little bit, returning to Bengaluru and getting a few training sessions done as well. We’re ready to go again and look forward to the game on Friday,” Grayson stated at the pre match press conference.
Jamshedpur FC had a very rough start to the season as they had a new coach and many new players took time to adjust to the conditions in India. However, Grayson highlighted that they were a very hard team to play against once they found their mojo. The Men of Steel are looking to turn their fortunes in the Super Cup as it has been a nice tournament for them to salvage their below-par ISL season.
“They had a very difficult start to the season. But in the second half of the season, they were very hard to play against and scored a lot of goals. Especially in this tournament, they’ve had some fantastic results. So, we know we’re in for a real tough game,” Grayson highlighted the danger against JFC.
The Englishman recalls the last meeting between Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC this season and though they won, he points out how their opponents made them defend early and bombarded their penalty area with crosses, shots and hopeful through balls. So he is not expecting an easy game in the semifinals.
“Even when we won against them, in Jamshedpur, in the league game, we had to defend really well and dealt with lots of crosses, shots and attacks. So, we are under no illusions that it’s an easy game,” Grayson added.
The Blues have an opportunity to make it to the third final of this season if they win this clash. They have already featured in the Durant Cup final and ISL final this season and this is another opportunity to prove their mettle. “It’s another test, but it’s an opportunity for us to make our third final this season, which would be a fantastic achievement. It plays a part, both mentally and physically, that you’re ready,” he concluded.
