We have three finals ahead and must win tomorrow, says Mohun Bagan asst. coach Manuel Cascallana

Manuel Cascallana also remarked on the constant support of the fans which helped Mohun Bagan throughout the ISL.

Mohun Bagan will be desperate to return to winning ways in the Indian Super League (ISL) when they face an unpredictable Punjab FC side at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi on Saturday (6 April). It’s a must-win match for the Mariners to keep their ISL shield-winning dreams alive and close in on the top spot.

The condition of Antonio Habas

Incidentally, Mohun Bagan are still without their head coach, Antonio Habas – who is suffering from an illness that keeps him away from training and matches. Assistant coach Manuel Cascallana gave an update on his situation in the pre-match press conference, saying: “He is not feeling well today and couldn’t come to training. If he feels better, then he’ll travel to Delhi tomorrow. That’s all I can say about his condition.

“It’s difficult (operating) without him, he’s the driver of this bus. But we are professionals and can keep winning and pushing for the title without him,” Cascallana also stated.

What Mohun Bagan learnt from recent loss and having to play without fans against Punjab

When questioned on what Mohun Bagan have learnt from the defeat to Chennaiyin FC and the potential impact of not having fans at their side in the Punjab game, which will be behind closed doors, the Spaniard replied, “We’ve analyzed what happened in the last game. Things like this can happen in football. We are going to progress, we’ve recovered and tomorrow is a new match.

It’s difficult to play without our supporters. We have the experience from Covid-19 times and know that Mohun Bagan have one of the biggest fanbases in one of the biggest in the country. We will miss them for sure, we always miss them when we play away or with no supporters,” Manuel added.

Cascallana wary of Punjab FC threat

Cascallana insists that the Mariners are highly respectful of Punjab FC’s quality and the threat they bring, with the Shers also fighting for a playoff spot. He explained, “We know that Punjab is a good team. If you see the stats in the second leg of the ISL season, then you’ll see that Mumbai, Mohun Bagan, and Punjab are the three best teams with the most points.

That means they’re doing a good job, they have good players and a really good coach. We will face a very difficult team, they’re trying to fight for the sixth position as we fight for the ISL shield. It’s important for both teams, but we are only focused on our objectives and our ideas,” Cascallana also remarked.

Mohun Bagan must consider last three games as finals

Finally, the Spaniard reiterated that the Mariners have three ‘finals’ ahead of them in the remaining league stage matches which they must win to clinch the shield. He stated, “We have three finals ahead. It’s in our hands, we have to win tomorrow and are only focused on defeating Punjab.

We will think about the next matches in the future, we’re taking it one game at a time. Tomorrow is a final, it’s an important day and we will fight for tomorrow,” Manuel finished off.

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