Juan Pedro Benali happy to put smile on home fans after win against Hyderabad FC

NorthEast United head coach Juan Pedro Benali was delighted for the fans after securing a 4-1 win against Hyderabad FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati in the ongoing Indian Super League on Wednesday.

Guillermo Fernandez and Ajaraie scored for the Highlanders in the first half to give a 2-0 lead to their team. Left-back Manoj Mohammed got one back for the Nawabs but Asheer Akhtar and Mohammed Ali Bemammer scored to give a comprehensive win to the hosts.

“Happy (with the performance). Especially happy for the fans who came to see us. (It was) very important to win the last game of the regular season here (in Guwahati), making them (the fans) proud, and making them smile. It was really, really important,” Benali stated during the post-match press conference.

Meanwhile, the home team took nine shots on target despite having only 42% possession. NorthEast United FC were caught offside on six occasions and the gaffer noted that they were pressing high in the first half.

He added, “We’ve been pressing high in the first half, trying to play into the space because they’re leaving a lot of space in their back. In the second half, we know that it’s going to be a long second half, and without wanting, it’s automatically that some players need to breathe a little bit, and that’s normal.

“We trained to go into the space because the lines, the midfield lines, and the back line, were tight, they were together. We have no space to play inside. We need to open them. This is why the message was clear, the training was clear, which is to play into space,” Benali explained.

NorthEast United will next take on Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar, on Monday.