NorthEast United FC’s second match of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 season will see them host Odisha FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday. The Highlanders began their campaign on a positive note, holding defending champions Bengaluru FC to a 0-0 draw at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.

At the pre-match press conference, NorthEast boss Robert Jarni looked back at the Bengaluru tie and said, “I am very happy with the point. The team was working very hard against the defending champions. So, I’m very happy”

Asked about his approach for the upcoming match, the Croat said, “It’s a different match (Odisha tie). We saw the game between Odisha and Jamshedpur. We know it’s a strong team. They have their strengths. So, we are working on it. At home, we want to play more attacking football and make the fans enjoy the game.”

Jarni also confirmed that he had his entire squad available for selection. “The full squad is ready and available. I’m happy because now I can choose. So far, we have no injuries. We have the full squad,” stated Jarni.

NorthEast’s star signing Asamoah Gyan was impressive on his Hero ISL debut against Bengaluru, as the Ghanaian struck the crossbar once and also had a goal ruled out due to offside. Speaking about Gyan’s performance, Jarni stated, “He had two chances to score. It’s always difficult to create chances against Bengaluru because they are a very strong team. For us, he is a very important player because he offers something different. If we can create more chances, for him, it will be easier to score.”

Twenty-two-year-old defender, Rakesh Pradhan, was also in attendance at the presser. The youngster made his Hero ISL debut against Bengaluru on Monday, and recalled the experience by stating, “It was a different experience. The team, the coaches and the players out there put their trust on me. I want to take it one game at a time.”

Read the Match Preview here.