ISL: Delhi aim to consolidate lead on top against ATK (Preview)

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Delhi Dynamos Football Club will look to consolidate their position at the top of the table when they take on Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) in an Indian Super League (ISL) tie at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday.

In red-hot form after recording three back-to-back victories, Gianluca Zambrotta's men will look to open up a four point lead over second-placed Mumbai City FC when they play their 10th game against ATK, who are smarting from a defeat at the hands of former coach Antonio Habas's FC Pune City.

Dynamos are looking to peak at the right time with their marquee recruit Florent Malouda hitting form with a brace in their last game, an emphatic triumph over flailing Chennaiyin FC at home.

Richard Gadze and Kean Lewis has been in good form too and Marcelo Pereira is on a dream run with the highest number of goals (5) in the season so far along with NorthEast United FC's Emiliano Alfaro.

ATK on their part have been lacklustre from the start of this edition and only looked good in patches with Javi Lara and Sameehg Doutie chugging along initially and marquee Helder Postiga shrugging off injury to aid Jose Molina's side in the last few matches.

Molina, like always though, did not sound too disappointed with the result.

"I think maybe we didn't do a great job but we did a good job. The players tried, fought and defended well. In the first half, we had a good 40 minutes and we penetrated the Pune box many times and then they found a goal from set-piece. Probably, that was the first time they got near our box," Molina said.

"That boosted their confidence and we lost our confidence a bit. In the second half, we tried again but they scored another on the counter, with a penalty."

"I think we played the match well and I think with the few chances that they had, they did very well and scored," Molina told reporters after the match.

Juan Belencoso, before leaving for the capital said in Kolkata on Friday that the side are aiming for 20 points.

"That's all we want. I think that is the number needed to qualify for play-offs and that is the most important thing at the moment," the striker told reporters.

ATK currently have 12 points from eight matches and have a chance to be on the same number of points (15) with Mumbai if they win on the morrow.

--IANS

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