Dempo SC face Rajasthan Utd

NT Reporter

Panaji

Dempo Sports Club will look to find their rhythm when they take on Rajasthan United FC in the Championship Round of the I-League here on Friday.

The opener of the round in Shillong ended in a goalless draw, a performance that head coach Samir Naik felt fell short of expectations. “These away games in the northeast are always challenging, but we could have done better. The performance was not up to the mark. But I know the quality we have and what the boys can play,” he said.

The two sides met recently in Stage 1, where Rajasthan United came from behind to register a 2-1 win, scoring twice after the break to snatch the points.

Rajasthan, however, enter under pressure after suffering a late 2-1 defeat to Sreenidi Deccan in their opener, conceding twice in stoppage time despite leading with ten men for over half an hour.

Naik acknowledged the challenge but backed his side to respond. “We played this opponent just a week before in Goa. We started that game really well, but lapses in concentration cost us. We have worked on certain areas and I feel we will do better,” he said.

Colombian midfielder Sebastian Gutierrez has been Dempo’s primary creative outlet, while injuries to Darell Mascarenhas and Shubham Rawat, along with Richmond Owusu’s unavailability due to paperwork issues, remain concerns. Despite this, Naik expressed full faith in his squad’s depth and readiness.