Resurgent Chennayin to play optimistic ATK in Super Cup 2nd semifinal

A resurgent Chennayin FC will take on an optimistic ATK in the second semifinal of the Hero Super Cup football tournament here Wednesday.

Chennaiyin come into Wednesday's game on the back of an impressive victory against NorthEast United FC, while ATK overcame Delhi Dynamos FC in a thrilling quarterfinal tie which ended 4-3.

ATK head coach Steve Coppell seemed cautiously optimistic ahead of the last four tie.

"I think every game is so different, you can never predict them. After 10-15 minutes of actual play, you get a measure of how the game is going to play out. Certainly, in my mind, Chennaiyin are obviously a very dangerous side and they have ambition to try and win this competition," he said.

Pushed for his take on Chennaiyin's purple patch post the Indian Super League 2018-19 season, Coppell said, "Definitely they are stronger. During the Hero ISL season, it was fairly obvious that they did not have that oomph that they had last year.

"But the qualification for the AFC Cup has created a buzz and lifted the camp. It has helped them to get them through to this stage of the Hero Super Cup. It is an exciting time to play Cup football. Cup football is more edgy and more dangerous."
"It isn't easy on the players, a long season like this. But all of them are focused on the job at hand and aiming to make it into the final. We have momentum at the moment and the spirit within the squad is high."