FC Pune City host Kerala Blasters FC in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune on Friday. The Stallions are on a good run of form having won both their previous matches and a third home win on the trot against last year’s finalists will take them to the summit of the league table. Ranko Popovic, Pune’s head coach addressed the media prior to the match, and he spoke about the importance of striking a balance in attack and defence.

“Look, I think topping is very good, but I said from the beginning, if you want to have success, you must be ready to play defensive and offensive at the same time,” the Serbian explained. “If we find a balance between the two, we will be a good team. And we are trying to be good; we are still not as good as we want to be, but we are on the way to that. And this is what we want; to be one good, strong, solid team that plays without oscillations.”

While he admitted at not liking a change in his team structure, Popovic did mention that there were a few injury concerns that might force him to do the same. “You must always play and try to find some good solution in different games,” he remarked. “When you have this situation, it is a great challenge. But I don’t like it because I like to repeat the team, and I like to give the guys a bit of continuity. Unfortunately, there are some problems that does not allow some players to enjoy the game tomorrow.”

Emiliano Alfaro has played in each and every match so far for his team, and when asked about whether the Uruguayan needed rest, the 50-year-old replied, “If it is necessary to rest Alfaro, I will. But I don’t feel this. If he comes to me and tells me that he wants to have rest, it’s fine. But if you see the games, if I want to change Alfaro before the end of a match, he is not happy. And this is good. I want everyone to be like this and have this mentality to play 90 minutes.”

Before concluding, Pune’s head coach acknowledged the strength of his opponents, insisting that the Stallions will have their work cut. “It will be a very difficult match,” Popovic inferred. “Because we know what Kerala is like. It is a traditionally good club. And especially, now at this moment, there are some fresh players. They have a new challenge, and the motivation is big for them. Of course, you would never know what you can expect in any game. But for me, I think it depends on how we are. If we are good, it will be easy for us. We have to dedicate 100 percent of our work to all the things.”