MARGAO: Mahindra United will be eager to defy odds and settle scores with Churchill Brothers in their crucial 11th round encounter in the I-League football tournament at the Nehru Stadium here Monday.
In the first leg, Mahindra United suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat at home, their worst loss in a domestic competition.
The Derrick Pereira side started off poorly in the I-League, but the turn of the calendar year has brought a new beginning, a fresh start for the former National Football League champions.
"We cannot afford to lose again," Derrick Pereira, suffering from a throat infection, told on Sunday.
Significantly, Mahindra United have not lost to a higher ranked team; drawing 1-1 with leaders Dempo Sports Club and defeating second-placed JCT 3-1 in their last two matches.
"The team is high on confidence. We aim to upset calculations in Churchill Bros' own backyard," maintains Derrick.
It will not be easy though as no away team has defeated Churchill at home, all through the season.
Midfielder Izumi Arata faces a late fitness test as he tries to overcome a knee injury, but Ghanaian sharpshooter Yakubu Yusif is definitely ruled out with a thigh strain.
Churchill have been left licking their wounds after a 1-4 loss to Dempo, but coach Karim Bencherifa can at least draw inspiration from the team's impressive performance against Mahindra United in the away game. India midfielder Chitra Sen remains a doubtful starter even though he played a small part in the last match.
