I-League: Lajong confident to dent East Bengal's title hope

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Shillong Lajong will look for the big win when they take on Kingfisher East Bengal in their final I-League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong here on Monday.

Fresh from their win against current champions Aizawl FC in their previous match, Shillong Lajong are looking forward to end their season on a high note as they will be trying to carry on their winning momentum against East Bengal heading into the match.

Meanwhile, East Bengal are showing no lack of confidence as their 7-1 drubbing of Chennai City in their previous game has provided the East Bengal with renewed vigour and determination.

East Bengal coach Khalid Jamil said, 'We will be playing freely in tomorrow's match. We are under no pressure whatsoever.'

Asked about what are their plans for this match particularly, Jamil said, 'We are not thinking about the points or our position in the standings. We are only focusing on the game and we are going to go all out for the win.'

'Lajong is a very good team and they will be under less pressure tomorrow as they have nothing to lose since they are out of the league contention. They will also be playing on their home ground which is an advantage,' said Khalil.

'We are focusing only on the game. We will be playing with the same team but the starting XI will be finalised on Monday', Jamil concluded.

On the other hand, Shillong assistant coach Alison Kharsyntiew said, 'We are not underestimating East Bengal. They are a very good side. This is our last game and we will try our best to be in the top five.'

'We have had a good break following our previous match and it has been good for the team. They are now fresh and renewed and ready for tomorrow's game,' said Kharsyntiew.

On being asked if he was happy with the team's performance this season, Kharsyntiew replied, 'I am happy with how the team has played but I'm not satisfied. The results could have been better.'

'Right now, the Super Cup is coming up but we are not thinking about that too much. We need to concentrate on what is in front of us. We need to concentrate on tomorrow's game as it is a must-win game for us. We need to win tomorrow and we need to focus,' said Kharsyntiew.

'Though East Bengal is a good side, we are confident for tomorrow. We will go all out and play our best and see what happens,' chipped in Lajong defender Aibanbha Dohling.

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