Shillong, February 18 : As the Hero I-League approaches its final leg, Shillong Lajong FC will be looking to scavenge as many points as possible when they take on current champions - Aizawl FC in what is promised to be a thrilling match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Monday (February 19).

Shillong Lajong FC and Aizawl FC are placed at 5th and 6th on the points table respectively with 18 points each and it will be interesting to see which of these two teams will emerge victorious in what fans are already calling a battle of the north-east on Monday.

Welcome to Shillong, Aizawl FC!
We'll see you tomorrow 👊#NorthEastDerby #LAJvAFC 19th February, JN Stadium Shillong at 8 PM. pic.twitter.com/HVumgNCDnk

— Shillong Lajong FC (@lajongfc) February 18, 2018

However, the new-look Aizawl FC who drew with Indian Arrows in their last outing are determined to thwart their opponents and come up on top.

"We do not underestimate Shillong Lajong as they are a very good side," said Aizawl coach Santosh Kashyap ahead of the match in Shillong on Sunday (February 18). "However, we will not hold back and will try our hardest to win the three points," he added.

On being asked if the weather would prove to be a disadvantage for his team, Kashyap replied, "Actually no, the weather is almost the same as in Aizawl; conditions are almost the same and even Lajong's playing style is almost the same. So I don't think that we are at a disadvantage."

Training hard for the upcoming 'Northeast Derby' .#aizawlfc #ThePeoplesClub pic.twitter.com/Hx0bzNJCqR

— Aizawl Football Club (@AizawlFC) February 18, 2018

"The foreigners are also the ones to look out for. They have good experience and skill. But we need to stay positive and try our best. We have made a few changes in the lineup for tomorrow's match due to injuries. We will see how it goes tomorrow,'' concluded Kashyap.

Meanwhile Lajong assistant coach Alison Kharsyntiew said, "This is a very important match for us. It is like a final for us and we can't take it lightly. We need to be confident and we need to stay positive in order to win the 3 points. It is a very crucial game for us.

"We have been training a lot these past few days. We have been working on our defence, offence and finishing skills as well as trying to recover as best as we can in order to avoid injuries. We are lucky we have no injuries on the team right now," said Kharsyntiew.

We're up against Shillong Lajong in tomorrow's derby.#HeroILeague #LAJvAFC #aizawlfc #ThePeoplesClub pic.twitter.com/m4Ms4X0d5r

— Aizawl Football Club (@AizawlFC) February 18, 2018

On being asked about the noticeably weak defence of the Shillong-based team, Alison replied, "Defence is not a problem, we need to alternate between defence and offence. We cannot defend for 90 minutes. We need to take chances and attack as well as try to equalise."

"We are confident for tomorrow and we need to stay sharp for the rest of the 90 minutes as a win tomorrow will indeed give the team the confidence they need,'' concluded Kharsyntiew.

The new recruit Kimkima has now joined the squad and will be available for tomorrow's match. #LAJvAFC pic.twitter.com/1J6xutjV1U

— Aizawl Football Club (@AizawlFC) February 18, 2018

All in all, Monday's match looks promising as it will involve the two north-east clubs vying for the chance to prove their skills on the pitch.

Match starts at 8:00pm IST

Live on Star Sports 2/2 HD

Streamed live on Hotstar and Jio TV

Source: AIFF Media

📸 Final training before the big match on Monday night against Aizawl FC. Come on Lajong!! 👊 pic.twitter.com/oFVynHQy2Z

— Shillong Lajong FC (@lajongfc) February 18, 2018