PETALING JAYA: It’s not going to be a piece of cake.
That’s what Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) coach Esteban Solari thinks as he has brushed aside the notion that they will easily beat a struggling Kelantan when they clash in a Super League match at the Sultan Mohammad IV Stadium in Kota Baru tonight.
JDT top the standings with 48 points, 14 more than second-placed Selangor and on paper, should have no problem getting the better of basement side Kelantan to stretch their unbeaten run to 17 matches.
But the Argentinian remains wary of the possibility of their opponents resorting to defensive tactics and frustrating JDT’s attempt to gain the upper hand.
Not making the situation easier for JDT is the playing pitch in Kota Baru, which is not in pristine condition.
“Even though Kelantan are at the bottom of the league, we still respect them and will not look down on them, said Solari.
“The JDT players must always be ready to increase the intensity of their game,” he said.
“We have to continue with the same quality and high-intensity performance to bring home the three points.
“It’s an important game because after that, we will play in the FA Cup final (on July 22 against Kuala Lumpur).
“It will be similar to the strategy we used against Negri Sembilan... we will improve the pace of the game because we are aware that the opposing team will try to put up a fierce fight.
Asked about the field conditions, Solari does not think it will affect their pace of play.
“We are used to playing on the cowgrass field and are not affected by the quality of the field because at the training centre, we are exposed to training on the same type of field.”
