ISL 2019 | Only target is to win against ATK, says Sergio Lobera

ISL 2019 | Only target is to win against ATK, says Sergio Lobera

SportsCafe Desk

By SportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera has stated that the only thing on his mind now is to secure a win against ATK in their next ISL match on Thursday. Meanwhile, opposition coach Steve Coppell was also adamant that his team will be fighting for a win at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.

Fourth-placed FC Goa will go up against sixth-placed ATK on Thursday at the at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda. A win for the home team will secure their spot in the top four teams ahead of the play-off stage while a win for ATK will get them closer to the upper tier of the table as they aim for a spot in the knockout stage.

FC Goa’s coach Sergio Lobera was reluctant to set expectations high as he revealed that there’s only one thing on his mind right now and that is to win their next game against their Kolkata-based opponents.

"Right now, I only have one target in mind which is winning tomorrow. No, I want to think about the positives. I always look forward to winning the three points. Depending on the game and thinking on what happened on the pitch, you can take one point as a positive point. But before the game, you cannot say that a draw would be sufficient.

"I think we are facing a great team. And we have to beat the team, not the individual players. I think Edu Garcia is in great form," the 42-year old said in a pre-match press conference.

Meanwhile, ATK’s head coach Steve Coppell agreed that his side needs to make most of their remaining matches to stand a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. The British coach refused to adopt a laid back approach for the match against the Gaurs considering their superior head-to-head record.

"It is a crucial match in terms of the consequences, but we will approach it like any other game. We want to win. So, we try and prepare to win. You can’t be more intense than we have been in the previous 15 games. The preparation for these games is a process. We will continue our process and we hope that we get a good result.

"Psychologically I suppose it (the head-to-head statistic) makes you feel a little better, but I’m sure once the whistle blows tomorrow evening, it won’t make much difference. Goa are a very good team. We respect them, the ability they have, individually and collectively. We know we have to be at the top of our game to get a positive result tomorrow," Coppell said at the pre-match press conference.

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