Chennaiyin FC travel to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru to face Bengaluru FC in the grand finale of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 on Saturday. The visitors have shown consistency in both defence and attack en-route to the final, where they will be aiming for their second Hero ISL title. Chennai’s 20-year-old midfielder Anirudh Thapa has been a revelation this season, bagging two goals and an assist in 15 appearances. The talented youngster spoke to indiansuperleague.com before the final showdown. Here are the excerpts.

How do you sum up your performance this season?

It was a good journey for me. Last year I only got one match to show myself, but this season I got many matches. So for me, I got an opportunity to show that young players can also prove themselves, and can also play. It was a good season for me. 

Your thoughts on the upcoming final?

It’s been almost five and a half months since everybody is together. They’ve worked hard, they have sacrificed themselves for this game only and it’s just one step away. Just one step left and we hope that we give our best in the final.

How will it be playing against Bengaluru FC’s defence?

It will be a tough match for both of us. Their defence is good. But we also have a pretty good attack. Let’s hope for the best.

Your take on the midfield battle between the teams?

Football is a game where we need to fight. And the game is all about midfield, so it’s going to be a tough match. It’s their home ground, a bit of an advantage for them, but we have to give our best.

Does playing at Bengaluru FC’s home ground add pressure?

Before every big match there is pressure and we need to give our best. We need to move with our game plan, so let’s hope for the best.