'Just be brave and enjoy the game' - Petr Kratky's advice to Mumbai City FC players before second leg

Mumbai City FC boss Petr Kratky also shed light on Akash Mishra’s availability.

After a hard-fought victory in the first leg of the semi-final of Indian Super League 2023-24 at the Fatorda Stadium, Mumbai City FC now look to face FC Goa in the second leg of the fixture at the Mumbai Football Arena on Monday. 

Both teams have faced each other thrice in the season so far. While the first two matches in the league stage ended in a draw, the first leg went in Mumbai’s favour, thanks to some late goals. 

Ahead of the match tomorrow, Mumbai’s head coach Petr Kratky and player Jayesh Rane attended the press conference to address the press and answer their queries. 

Instructions to the team in the last game 

Mumbai City FC turned the result in their favour in the final six minutes of the first leg by scoring three successive goals and snatched away the win from the home team. 

Coach Petr Kratky said, “In the match, at half time, we had a discussion about how to go with the second half and how to score goals as that’s our strength. We just stuck to the process, believed that we could score till the end of the match and at the end got rewarded for it.”

Mentality of the team in the season 

When you go through a long season, you have to be strong not just physically but also mentally. When a question was asked regarding the mentality of the players throughout the season, Jayesh Rane said, “The mentality has been top class since the start. We have been together, we have stayed together in the good times and difficult times. That’s the main strength of the team and that’s what we have to do till the end.”

About the upcoming game 

Mumbai City FC just need to win the next game or draw the clash to emerge as the winner of the semi-finals and book a spot in the final. 

Coach Petr Kratky stated that the tactics during the match will be crucial in this fixture. He mentioned, “We first need to start well and keep going till we finish well. For me, it will be the mindset of the team to play and stick to the process. We need to have faith in ourselves during the whole game and be brave to face the opposition. That’s what I want from my players. Just be brave and enjoy the game.” 

“We will stick to our plans and go for the win. They are a good team. They will come for a fight and we will also be ready to face them,” Jayesh added.

Akash Mishra’s injury

Akash Mishra has been Mumbai City FC’s one of the most crucial players throughout the campaign. Unfortunately, he got injured in the last match and had to be substituted. As per the latest report, he won’t be a part of the team in the upcoming games. 

“Unfortunately, Akash has been injured and won’t be available for us. But we have got another player who can step in and do the job,” the coach highlighted.

Will Jayesh Rane start?

Jayesh Rane was brilliant since his inclusion in the last match. It also turned out to be crucial for Mumbai’s win. A question was raised about him starting the match. Petr Kratky replied to the question in a positive way by stating, “We will see how the training goes today. Yes, he is a very good player and sometimes deserves a bit more of what he gets in the matches. But whenever he gets a chance, he does well and we also know that we value him a lot.”

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