Marcello Lippi sets up young squad for India friendly

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Chinese men's national team will be up against India in an international friendly on Saturday. The match is being viewed as a rehearsal for Marcello Lippi's squad ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in January 2019.

The match is slated to be held at the Center Olympic Stadium in Suzhou City on October 13 and kicks off at 7:35 p.m. local time.

Beijing Guoan forward Yu Dabao will be back on the team, and is seeking a good performance for his side this time.

Yu said, "I will play forward for the national team as the coach hopes that I could get into the role as soon as possible. Of course, being in this position means more pressure since people put more expectations on you to score. What I can say is that I will try my best in every opportunity to get a good result."

Yu Dabao talks to the media during the training session in Suzhou. /VCG Photo

Rehearsal for a young squad

It will be the first senior-level football match between the two neighboring countries in 21 years as India are set to play their first-ever international friendly fixture on Chinese soil.

According to Lippi's plan, the young players will be the main force in the Saturday's clash, and the match against Syria next Tuesday will be an additional opportunity for China to bolster its preparations for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup.

Even as the weather forecast stays bright and sunny, India has never managed to beat China in their last 17 outings for far. The last time the two teams met was in the Nehru Cup in 1997.

China's national coach Marcello Lippi during his side's practice session in Suzhou. /VCG Photo

'Defenders to play a big role'

Indian national football team arrived in Suzhou to play the international friendly game against China. /Courtesy: All India Football Federation (AIFF)

Indian defender Pritam Kotal is well aware of his team's challenge and maintained that "defenders will have a big role to play."

"Defenders will have a big role to play when we play China. We communicate with each other in the practice sessions and we have to be at the top of our games on Saturday," he stated on arrival.

"We need to play more games against the stronger teams to tighten the screws before we land in the UAE for the Asian Cup. We are eagerly waiting to give our best in front of the Chinese crowd on Saturday," he smiled.

Meanwhile, Indian national coach Stephen Constantine said the match would be a "good indication" for the near future. "China are obviously a good side. They play some good football. Our performance against China will be a great indication of where we are and how far we need to go," he stated.