Kochi: Kerala Blasters were faced with an arduous task of recovering from a 6-0 drubbing as they got ready to take on Spanish top division side Girona FC in the Toyota Yaris La Liga World tournament here on Saturday.
The Indian Super League franchise, who conceded half a dozen goals against A-League side Melbourne FC in the tournament opener, would want to end their campaign on a positive note at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium.
Blasters head coach David James was focused on the match and said they will not take any unnecessary pressure.
"We will not want to put any sort of pressure on us by thinking about our opponents, we are here to play some good competitive football and entertain the home crowd. It will be a great learning for all the young players from our team to face a top tier European club like Girona," said James.
Preparing for the upcoming season, Blasters have made some domestic signings.
"We have added some young players to our squad for the season. They are training hard and taking this tournament very seriously. Not on all days do we get to play against two big international teams like Melbourne City FC and Girona FC.
"I am sure the team will mould themselves into a cohesive unit before the start of the season," said the ex-Liverpool man when asked about his team combination.
Aleix Garcia, midfielder at Girona FC, said, "I have heard that Kerala Blasters have the best football fans in India. I just want to tell all of them to come to the stadium for the games because we will give them good action to witness.
"We want to cherish their presence, hear them supporting their team. Fans and their support always form a big part of any football club team."