Des Buckingham expects tight affair, Marco Pezzaiuoli focusing on BFC

The Islanders are on a four-game winless run and the Blues are on a four-match unbeaten run.

League leaders Mumbai City FC, led by Des Buckingham will look to snap a four-game winless run and consolidate their place at the top of the points table, when they take on Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda on Monday.

Mumbai were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by SC East Bengal in their last outing, making it four games in a row that they have not won. The Des Buckingham-coached side lacked teeth against East Bengal and also in the last few games, allowing their points gap at the top to be cut by the likes of Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC and ATK Mohun Bagan.

In the first six matches, Mumbai scored 17 goals and in their last four matches they have only managed five. They scored a goal at least in each of their first six matches. In the following four, they failed to put the ball in the back of the net twice, underlining their woes in the final third.

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Ahead of the clash, both teams' coaches - Buckingham and Marco Pezzaiuoli - spoke in the pre-match press conference.

Mumbai City FC coach Des Buckingham

On the reverse fixture against BFC

Des Buckingham: I’m expecting a very similar game. It was a very tight affair against them the last time we played them, I think we went into half-time with an even game, where Nawaz (Mohammad) saved a penalty which kept us in the game and allowed us to go on to win it. They’re a good team

Regardless of who you’re playing at the moment, the league position is irrelevant because with the closeness of the points, everyone is capable of pulling off results against each other. So, we’re very much prepared and ready for what we face and we’re looking forward to the game.

On MCFC's winless run

Des Buckingham: We need to continue getting better at what we do. We’ve played some fantastic football over the past 10 games, not just the four you’ve mentioned and it’s important that we’re showing signs of getting better. We’ll try to make sure that what we do is as good as it can be over a large period of time.

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Thoughts on Vinit Rai

Des Buckingham: I thought he played well, he came on, was very calm and that’s part of the reason we brought him into the club. He’s an excellent player who will fit our style of football very well. We had only one training session with him, but when he came on he looked very comfortable and he’s an incredibly good midfielder.

We spent some time with him over the past two days, looking at how we can implement the style that we want to really enhance and help him play with the style of this team.

Bengaluru FC coach Marco Pezzaiuoli

On the reverse fixture against MCFC

Marco Pezzaiuoli: Mumbai are a top team, but there are many top teams in the league this year. We lost the first game 3-1, but we had a lot of possession and conceded goals against the run of play. We have to work hard to improve defensively and in attack.

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

On players such as Bidyashagar Singh who hasn't yet played

Marco Pezzaiuoli: Bidya (Bidyashagar Singh) and Edmund (Lalrindika) are good players, who can come onto the pitch at any moment, but they're waiting for their chances. We also have Ashique (Kuruniyan) who needs to improve the last pass. In the last 3-4 games he didn't bring the ball inside the box and we also have Roshan (Naorem Roshan Singh).

But, sometimes you've to give confidence to the players who are playing. We have a lot of attacking options, but it's important to find a balance between offence and defence

On facing a Mumbai City side who are on a four-game winless run

Marco Pezzaiuoli: It doesn't matter whether we play Mumbai today, two weeks from now or a month from now. They've been playing good football. I don't think about when we play them. We want to focus on ourselves and how we play.

For more football updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.