We know how good Mohun Bagan are as a team, says Odisha FC coach Sergio Lobera

Sergio Lobera wants to remain unbeaten at the Kalinga at the end of the season.

Odisha FC are all prepared to face Mohun Bagan in the semi-finals of the Indian Super League 2023-24. The first leg of the semi-finals between the two heavyweights is going to be played at the Kalinga Stadium on April 23, 2024.  

Both teams have met each other four times in the ongoing season. While two of the matches have ended in draws, in the other two, both the teams have won once each. Tomorrow’s clash is going to be the most important one from both the team’s perspective. 

Ahead of the match, Odisha FC’s head coach Sergio Lobera and skipper Amrinder Singh attended the press conference and replied to the queries of the media. 

Match is not about individuals

Coach Sergio Lobera looked confident about the match against Mohun Bagan. When a question was asked regarding the game, he replied, “Tomorrow’s game will be a difficult one for us. We are going to play against the current ISL Shield winners. But we also have a good team. It is a home game for us, so we want to keep the momentum and result in our side.”

“I know, it’s a different game but we have competed well against them in the last four outings. And tomorrow’s game is not about the individual performance, it’s all about the performance of the team. Our focus is to be loyal in our style of play. We don’t need to change anything, just be careful as we know how good they are as a team,” he added.

Supporters at Kalinga Stadium push us for better results

Undoubtedly Odisha FC have performed to their best at the Kalinga stadium. They have also been undefeated in the whole ISL season at their home ground. Sergio Lobera said, “The team is competing well at Kalinga Stadium. We have nine wins and three draws in 12 matches this season at this venue. The supporters always help to push us towards something special each and every time. When we are here, we feel like we are ready for a challenge. We will surely look to finish this season being unbeaten at Kalinga. ”

Confident about the team

From the very beginning of the season, the Spaniard has shown confidence in the team and has backed his players in every possible way. He stated before this crucial tie, “I’m confident about the game because my players are confident. They proved throughout the season that they are ready for any kind of challenge. Then how can I not be confident if I have professionals in the team?” 

Focus is not at Golden Glove Award

Amrinder Singh is leading the Golden Glove race with nine clean-sheets this season. When asked about his personal achievement, he turned it down and put forward the main objective. He asserted, “To be honest, my first focus is not to win the Golden Glove. I will be more happy to win the trophy with the team. And my main focus is the semi-final. If we can keep two clean-sheets, it’s good for the team. And grinding out yet another comeback win in the last game showed the mentality and the character of the squad.” 

Advice for young players

The young players in the team are always lucky when they have some senior professional in the squad. When asked about the advice he gives to the younger players, the skipper replied, “I always try to give them good advice. I talk about good sleep and good food. They also want to improve their game and give their best in the training sessions.”

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