ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Lopez Habas doesn’t want to have the “favourites” tag on his team when they take on Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh in the final match of AFC Cup Group D at the National Football Stadium, Male, Maldives on Tuesday.
“I don’t like to talk about favourites, because football is full of complications. We have good professional players, who are very disciplined and tactical on the pitch. They have the opportunity to learn every day and I am happy with the performances of my players,” Habas said on the eve of the match.
“We know them (Bashundhara), and they are a good team. They are the champions of Bangladesh and we give them maximum respect. We will have to wait for the match. The most important thing for us is not to concede a goal, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any attacks. We have to find the balance. We know that this is a decisive match and we have to give 100 per cent on the pitch,” the Spanish coach said.
ATK Bagan need a draw to reach the next round while it’s a must-win game for Bashundhara Kings.
Bashundhara have had a phenomenal domestic season, losing only one of their 21 matches in the Bangladesh Premier League and coach Oscar Bruzon believes that record will carry his team past ATK Bagan.
“Tomorrow (Tuesday) is going to be another long 90 minutes. If we are smart and wait for our opportunities, I’m sure we can bag the three points. Our confidence is that we only lost one match this season,,” Bruzon said.
- Kick off: 4.30pm (IST)
