After putting up a clinical performance against the home side Kerala Blasters FC, A- League's Melbourne City FC will be high on confidence as they take on La Liga club Girona FC in the second match of the Toyota Yaris La Liga World at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium here on Friday.
Melbourne City FC exhibited an attacking brand of football right from the word go and hit the back of the net almost at will registering a 6-0 win.
On being asked about the team's approach, Melbourne City head coach Warren Joyce said: "I wouldn't say we played with any real aggression against Kerala Blasters but we certainly asked the players to put in a shift and help build their match fitness. We are focused on making sure we put the things we have worked on at training into the pitch."
The Englishman gave playing minutes to almost every player of his squad against Kerala Blasters and felt it was the right way to prepare ahead of the upcoming A-league season.
But Melbourne City FC know Girona FC will be a different challenge altogether. After debuting in top-flight football in Spain last season, Girona FC finished a respectable 10th in the 2017-18 La Liga season. The highlight of their season was beating European champions and La Liga giants Real Madrid 2-1.
"Girona are a strong side. La Liga is very competitive and for them to finish 10th last year shows they have some real quality," added the Melbourne City FC manager.
Girona FC will be looking at these next two matches in Kochi to test their side's readiness for yet another La Liga season.
"Both Melbourne City and Kerala Blasters FC are good teams, Melbourne had a great first game and will be high on confidence. It will be an interesting match and we have to be at our best to beat them," Girona FC skipper Aleix Garcia Serrano said.
--IANS
ajb/bg
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)