After back-to-back losses, Mumbai City FC will look to bounce back when they host NorthEast United FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Wednesday. The Islanders will be eager to shake off their late-season jitters and win the match in order to consolidate their position in the top four.

Before the tie, indiansuperleague.com caught up with Mumbai defender Anwar Ali for an exclusive interview. Here are the excerpts.

After the loss against Jamshedpur FC, how important is it to get back to winning ways?

The match against Jamshedpur FC was an away match. They're a good team, defensively as well. After that, it is important for us to make a good comeback. NorthEast United FC are also a good team and they attack well. So, getting three points is very important for us.

Do you think Mumbai City FC can do the double over Northeast United FC this season?

Yes, it is possible. The away fixture before this was in our favour and we won it. And obviously, we are playing at home so we will try and take the advantage we have. But, the most important thing here is to take all three points and I think, it is very important for NorthEast United FC as well. So, it is very important that we use our home advantage and win.

What's the plan to keep NorthEast United FC's potent attack at bay?

Our defensive record also has been good. We don't focus particularly on one player. Their strikers and their midfield are quite good. We will go ahead with a plan just like we had for the other matches and we will be ready for them.

Which particular NorthEast United FC player will be the biggest threat?

Their striker Bartholomew Ogbeche is in good form and he is scoring as well. Their midfielder Federico Gallego is also quite good as he provides the ball up front. So, these two could pose a threat to us.

What do you think of Mumbai City FC's chances of qualifying for the semi-finals?

We are positive that we will qualify. We know that sometimes there are a few slip-ups at the start or at the end. So, one or two matches have been bad for us but that does not mean we have lost hope. We have enough points and one win is enough for us to qualify for the semi-finals.

Read the match preview here.