“It is going to be an equal and tough game,” says FC Goa boss Carlos Pena ahead of their clash against ATK Mohun Bagan

FC Goa believe they are ready to take the next step but their recent result against Jamshedpur FC showed that there’s plenty of work left to be done. The Gaurs faltered to a 2-2 draw against the Men of Steel in their last game. Head coach Carlos Pena was not happy with a few things but lauded the spirit of the players. However if they beat their next opponents they will forget about the draw against Jamshedpur FC. The Gaurs will play ATK Mohun Bagan in the upcoming game in the Indian Super League.

It is going to be a very closely contested affair as the Green and Maroons are coming off a 1-0 defeat against NorthEast United. It was a pretty poor result given the circumstances, therefore the Gaurs will also feel that they have a chance to beat the Kolkata outfit. It will be a great match as the Green and Maroons are still in fourth position and FC Goa are in fifth but only a point separates the two teams. So a win here for the Gaurs will take them to the top four as ATK Mohun Bagan will come down the ladder.

Carlos pena is very aware of the quality that ATKMB has at their disposal. He clearly states how good the Green and Maroons have been before the last defeat to the Highlanders. “They have very good players. Before the last defeat (to NorthEast United FC), they had won their previous four games besides drawing to Odisha FC. They have a good squad and quality players in attack,”Pena stated at the press conference.

He wants his team to not commit any mistakes in defence and be totally focused on the movements of the forwards. He understands that the game will be tough and closely contested as both teams are close in standings and are fighting for the playoffs.

“We have to be very focused in terms of our defensive work and try to punish them when we attack. It’s going to be an equal game and a tough game for us. It will be a clash between two teams who are fighting for the playoffs and are very close in the Hero ISL standings. We will go to Kolkata with no fear, trying to get the three points,” he mentioned.

The last time the two sides met FC Goa completely dominated ATK Mohun Bagan and won the game 3-0. It was a great game as Noah Saddoui, Aiban Dohling and Fares Arnaout scored for the Gaurs. However Pena hailed that match as the best performance of this season. He wants his players to replicate that performance and energy in this match.

“It’s going to be a different game from what we play in Goa. We dominated the game against them in all aspects and that was one of our best performances during the season. We faced them with a lot of energy, with a good positive pressure and we competed really well. If we want to have options to win games after Wednesday, we need to have the same attitude (like we did when we played ATKMB previously),” Pena concluded.