Sergio Lobera: It’s very important to win the league stages

The FC Goa head coach also revealed that he feels overconfidence will be a big mistake for his side.

FC Goa are intent on holding on to their place at the pinnacle of the Indian Super League (ISL) as they visit an under-fire ATK side on Saturday. The Kolkata giants suffered their first home loss of the season against Kerala Blasters last week, something which should give the Gaurs confidence heading into the encounter. Ahead of the game on Saturday, head coach Sergio Lobera interacted in the pre-match press conference in Kolkata.

Sergio Lobera was asked on how he integrated his winning style into the team and indicated it’s a collected effort to get this winning effort. He explained, “For us it’s important that people like our style. It’s not the same comparatively in the first season as compared to the second or third season. It’s important for the team to understand what I want."

“I’m very happy in the first season as it was difficult to implement a new style. The second season was needed for us to improve defensively. I’m very proud of how my team has grown," Sergio Lobera added.

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The Spaniard is unconcerned with the fact that Antonio Habas won’t be with the squad and states that missing a coach on the bench doesn’t limit a team’s potential. “I play against one squad. ATK play with all their players. I think it won’t effect the team if the coach isn’t on the bench. For example, against Bengaluru we played very well but I wasn’t in the bench. So there isn’t a big question on whether it’ll effect the result tomorrow,” Sergio Lobera explained.

The FC Goa boss refused to take confidence from his side's win against ATK earlier this season. “I think if we are overconfident, it’s a big mistake for us. Every match is different and ATK is a big team. They’ve made a big effort to make a very good team. Not only in the beginning, but in the middle of the season with their signings," the 43-year-old quipped.

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“I think ATK need to win the league. They are a very strong team with a good team and very good players. Tomorrow the match is different. It isn’t possible that we’re wondering from the match at home. We need to be at our 100% to win tomorrow,” he added.

However, Sergio Lobera was clear about how important it is for the Gaurs to win the league stages of the ISL. “It’s very important to win the league stages. It’s important for all the teams. It’s not only about the fourth place position as compared to the last season. We want the first position. Tomorrow we have a big challenge as it’s a big opportunity for us to improve the difference between us and the others. I think it’s a big step to take tomorrow. I’m focusing on tomorrow’s match as it’s very important to get the first spot,” the tactician stated.

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Ferran Corominas also mirrored the FC Goa boss in stating that the game isn’t about any individuals but for the Gaurs to win the game. “It’s an important game tomorrow. It’s not only about Krishna or myself. It’s a big game for both the teams. We can’t lose the game as both teams are fighting for the first spot. We must give our 100% and go back home with all three points,” the striker asserted.

Coro is unfazed by his poor scoring record at Kolkata and insisted that he’ll be happy if his team wins even without him scoring. He said,  “Yes I’ve haven’t been scoring many goals away from home. I always try to help my team with my goals. Tomorrow if I don’t get the goal and my team wins, I’ll be very happy.”

Ferran Corominas scored against ATK in the reverse fixture

The striker also hailed ATK’s defensive strength, but expressed that Goa will need to recreate their work from earlier this season to win tomorrow. He said, “I think they’re a very balanced team. They’re defensively very compact. I think we’ll have to try and press them high in order to create a lot of chances. I think we need to recreate that tomorrow.”

Brandon Fernandes’ suspension tomorrow gives a chance to Seminlen Doungel or Manvir Singh to impress the coach. But Sergio Lobera insisted that they must work as a team to come out on top on Saturday against ATK. “As a coach we always need to have a plan B, plan c, Plan D or Plan F. I think you can show this in the first matches. We missed a lot of important players. But the team still were working very well," he said.

“Tomorrow is another big challenge as we’re playing against a very good team. The most important thing for us is to work as a team, not as individuals,” he signed off.

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Team News

Brandon Fernandes is suspended for the game for picking up four yellow cards. the midfielder will be missing out on the game against ATK on Saturday night. Apart from him, FC Goa have a fully fit unit.

Head To Head

FC Goa have played 13 matches against ATK since the inception of the ISL. They’ve won three games, while the Kolkata-side have won three as well. The rest of the seven games have been draws between the teams.

Predicted Lineup

Nawaz (GK), Seriton, Fall, Pena, Mandar; Lenny, Jahouh; Boumous, Jackichand, Doungel; Coro

Broadcast

The game will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Saturday. It will be broadcast in Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD and be available for streaming on Hotstar and JioTV.