After a few torrid results, Mumbai City FC find themselves in a bit of a pickle, lying seventh in Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18. The Islanders will be hoping for a turnaround in fortunes when FC Pune City come visit them at the Mumbai Football Arena for the Maharashtra derby on Sunday. On the eve of the encounter, indiansuperleague.com caught up with winger, Sanju Pradhan for his thoughts ahead of the fiery contest. Here are the excerpts from the interview.

You played for FC Pune City last season, so how are they different this time?

I think they have different types of players this season and have some good foreigners like Marcelinho and (Emiliano) Alfaro. I think that is one advantage they have this season.

What should Mumbai City FC do differently for the match on Sunday?

We can consider that as the final match for us, because it is going to be a very important one. I think if we win it, we will have a better chance of making it into the top four. It is also the Maharashtra derby, so I think it is a must-win match for us.

You have lost three consecutive matches at home, so is there some psychological pressure around it?

See, football is a game where you win some and you lose some. I think we have played well at home, especially in the previous one against Jamshedpur. We created many chances, but they took advantage of the fact that we could not convert them. We are confident for the next match, and I think we will overcome the mistakes that we made in the previous match.

Is there any advantage or disadvantage to having an early kick-off?

I don’t think there is much of a disadvantage in such weather; and we are playing at our home ground, so we have been training at 5:30 too. If at all, Pune should have a disadvantage because they haven’t practised here, so I feel we have a slight advantage here.

The Maharashtra derby is sure to attract many fans. How do you feel when they are out there to support you?

Any team would find it interesting to play in a derby match. I have played many with my team in Kolkata when I played in the I-League, so I am pretty excited. Most importantly, we have to win this match, and if the fans come and support us, it would be even better, because we need the motivation after losing the last three games (at home).

Which team would you like to avoid in the semi-final if you reach the top four?

I think all teams in the ISL are at the same level, but at the moment I would say Bengaluru FC would be a tough side since they have already qualified with a few games to spare.