Looking forward to bring home three points, says Gerard Zaragoza

Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza also shed light on how he plans to enter the top-six.

In a highly anticipated clash of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023/24 season, Bengaluru FC are gearing up to take on Petr Kraty’s Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday, February 18. Following a draw in their previous encounter against Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC are determined to secure a victory in this away fixture and mark their return to the fortress in resounding fashion.

Bengaluru FC head coach, Gerard Zaragoza addressed the media in the pre-match press conference ahead of their travel to Mumbai. Excerpts are below:

Thoughts on the preparations for the game

The Bengaluru FC manager expressed a sense of optimism as he discussed the team’s morale and expressed satisfaction with the week’s training leading up to their upcoming match against the Islanders. He said, “The reality is that it was good because finally after a long period we could have some good trainings, not only recovery, but also play. We could analyse what Mumbai can do against us and where we can punish them. And we were working on this. I’m happy with the week.”

Zaragoza added, “We had some days to rest because the first three games came with two large travels. The players were finally tired. But now it’s completely another week. We finished these three games with four points. Maybe we could have had even more.”

Race for the top-six

The BFC manager discussed his perspective on the battle for the top six positions and outlined his strategic approach, emphasizing the importance of taking each game as it comes. The manager said, “We’re just taking it game by game. It’s a goal for us. It’s a motivation. For us to enter again in the sixth position, it means that we are doing our work. But in any case, we are focusing in this sixth position with all our work. We are working to go to Mumbai and bring the three points home.”

He added, “We are looking forward to this race to the sixth position and we keep continuing. And that’s all. The important thing is to be in the sixth position in April.”

Thoughts on the opponent

The BFC manager spoke about the positives of their opponent when asked about their matchup against Petr Kraty’s Mumbai City FC. He stated, “They are a good team, they play nice football; at least the football that I consider nice. They are clear about what they need to do and they have very good individuals. It will be a tough game for both teams. The only thing we are looking forward to is to bring the three points home.”

Assessment of the new signings

Gerard Zaragoza provided an insight into the noteworthy performances of their recent acquisitions, discussing their impact on the pitch and how good quality can create a difference. He mentioned, “I’m really happy and excited about them. You can see that since their arrival, the two Indian players are almost playing every day. They add quality to the team. Quality with ball, of course, but quality without ball also.

And then with Halicharan (Narzary), he is where we expect. He is improving every day because he was in the pre-season. But every time that he is on the field, he is injecting more quality. This is football. The more quality you have on the pitch, better for the team.”

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