Mumbai City FC had to work hard against ten-man FC Goa to secure a late 1-0 win in their second game of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 at the Fatorda Stadium in Vasco. Speaking at the post-match press conference Islanders head coach Sergio Lobera said he was proud of his team’s performance over his former side FC Goa.

“The most important thing is to create chances. I am very proud of my players because I think the substitutions worked and the attitude of the players coming off the bench was amazing. We dominated, created chances, and finally we scored. I am very happy with these three points,” Lobera, whose team had come into the game on the back of a defeat against NorthEast United FC, said.

The Spaniard also lauded the physical effort put in by his players during their hard-fought win over the Gaurs. “In the last game, we dominated the match although we were playing with 10 players. But we increased the opportunities [in this game] and our level of play but it’s not easy.

“Physically, we worked very hard because it is tough working with a short pre-season. The players have made a big effort physically. I am happy with the attitude of the players to improve and keep winning,” said Lobera.

In what was a surprising move, Lobera didn’t start with prolific striker Bartholomew Ogbeche but according to Lobera when he came on as a substitute he did well and put the Gaurs under a of pressure. “We needed more players to arrive inside the box. I think Ogbeche did that very well. They changed the position of the fullbacks and we created a lot of chances with this kind of football.

“I am very happy with the substitutions, and Ogbeche played very well in this position. He understands very well what I want as a coach,” said Lobera.

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

Meanwhile, FC Goa head coach Juan Ferrando appreciated his team’s effort especially in light of the red-card that forced them to play with 10 men for the most part of the game. “It was difficult to know what happened [during the red card] but the team worked a lot. Now, our focus is on the next game [on Monday] against NorthEast United. It is important to help the players work and to be prepared for the next game,” Ferrando, whose team came into the game after sharing the points with Bengaluru FC in their opening game, said.

“We knew we were in a difficult situation because we were playing against a good team. Before the red card, it was a beautiful game. Two teams tried to play football and build the game. The Plan B didn’t work as well as we wanted it to. The transition from defence to attack was the main problem,” he added.

Watch Juan Ferrando's Post-Match Press conference here: