Mumbai City FC secured a 1-0 win over ATK Mohun Bagan at the Fatorda Stadium on Monday to extend their lead to five points at the top of the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) standings. Islanders striker Bartholomew Ogbeche scored the only goal of a well-contested match and their defence kept another clean sheet to extend Mumbai City’s unbeaten run in the league to nine matches.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Mumbai City head coach Sergio Lobera was happy with the overall balance of his team. “ATK Mohun Bagan are a very dangerous team. It is not easy to score against ATK Mohun Bagan. We were well-balanced in offence and defence and I am very happy with the work of my team, especially defensively,” he said.

The Spaniard was also delighted with his side’s domination in the first half and admitted that the Islanders had worked hard on the training ground to break down a resilient ATK Mohun Bagan defence. “I am very happy with the performance of my team, especially in the first half. We worked over the last few days to improve ourselves against a very good defensive team. We created chances and we had good opportunities,” Lobera said.

He went on to emphasize the need to continue their improvement even though Mumbai City now have a five-point lead at the top. “It is an important three points for us, but we are only halfway through the season. We have to play 10 more games. In this league, in a short time a lot can change. We need to keep on with our performances and continue improving,” Lobera stressed.

Watch Sergio Lobera's Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, ATK Mohun Bagan head coach Antonio Lopez Habas insisted that there was not much to separate the two sides. “There was not much of a difference between ATK Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City FC. But I am very disappointed with the performance of the team in the first 45 minutes. In the second half, I think we improved and worked our way into more goal-scoring positions,” Habas said after the game.

Although disappointed with the result, Habas wants his players to put the game behind them and begin preparations for their next match against FC Goa. “We conceded our first goal from open play this season [against Mumbai City]. Now, the players need to recover immediately and think about the next match against FC Goa,” he said.

Watch Antonio Habas' Post-Match Press conference here: