Antonio Habas: We completely deserved the result, as we were superior

The Spaniard was rightfully content with his team’s approach during the game.

ATK Mohun Bagan came out on top in the first Kolkata Derby in the Indian Super League (ISL), as they defeated arch-rivals SC East Bengal 0-2. It was Roy Krishna who opened the scoring for the Mariners, while substitute Manvir Singh added to the misery late in the second half.  With this crucial win, the Mariners are sitting at the top of the table with two wins from two matches and head coach Antonio Lopez Habas was very pleased with the performance from his team. 

"The team, the players had a fantastic performance. It was a big effort from the boys and I am very happy," said the Spaniard at the post-match press conference. "I think we completely deserved the result, as we were superior to our opponents," he added. 

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When asked about the challenges of playing East Bengal – who began their journey in the ISL with the derby and had a complete overhaul going into the season, Habas opined," The idea was to attack and defend at the same time. This is football, transitions, then attack and then defence. This was the idea for us. I don't understand football where there is only attack and only defence.”

However, ATK Mohun Bagan’s defence looked a bit shaky in the first half, as Robbie Fowler's men commanded possession and created chances. Yet, Antonio Habas does not believe that his defenders were nervous on the big occasion. "We did not have a fantastic level in the first 45 minutes. But, we kept the scoreline 0-0 and after 90 minutes it was 0-2."

The game was in the balance in the first half, as both sides were looking to dominate the midfield battle. There were a few chances, but all in all, it was a cagey game. Therefore, when asked about his half-time talk with the team, Habas added, “We knew we had to improve and we needed to press with more intensity. This was the idea and maybe after eight months of no competition, the players sometimes have trouble adapting."

Lastly, the Spanish tactician sang Sandesh Jhingan's praises. "I am very happy with his performance. It is very difficult to compete after staying out for almost a year or more. He is a very important player."