FC Pune City travel to the den of Mumbai City FC to lock horns in the second Maharashtra derby of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 on Sunday at the Mumbai Football Arena. The Stallions presently sit second on the table and will be looking to pick up three points against seventh-placed Islanders to consolidate their position in the top four. The visitors have the second-highest goal difference in the league at present, and a fair share of this can be attributed to their Spanish combination of Rafael Lopez in defence and Marcos Tebar in midfield. On the eve of the high-octane derby, indiansuperleague.com caught up with the two 32-year-olds for their views on the season and the game ahead. Here are the excerpts.

Tebar, how difficult will it be to play in the derby in front of fans who do not support your team?

I think we have shown our strength in away games this season and we have won a lot of points too. We can’t wait to play in front of the crowd and I think it will be a great game.

Lopez, you have played every game, so is the consistency helping you or is there some tiredness?

I feel good and want to play each and every game if I can.

Tebar, your head coach Ranko Popovic won’t be on the touchline tomorrow. Does that make a difference?

We know what we have to do from our training sessions and I think that even when he has been absent, we have played good football. But of course, we want him to be there with us.

Lopez, do you have a specific plan for the likes of Achille Emana, Balwant Singh and Everton Santos?

They are great players, but we don’t have any specific plans to control them. We want to play our natural game, like in the other games.

Tebar, how are the new players in the squad adjusting to the scheme of things in Pune?

I think they are adjusting well in the team. We try to help them to adjust to our type of football, and I think they are doing a great job so far.

Lopez, will you be happy with a draw tomorrow?

No, I won’t be happy with a draw. We try to win the three points in every game. Obviously, if it turns out to be a tough game and we are down in the second half, then a draw might be good.