Bengaluru FC travel to the Mumbai Football Arena on Thursday to take on Mumbai City FC in the 50th match of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18. The league debutants suffered a shock 2 – 0 setback at the hands of rock-bottom Delhi Dynamos FC in their previous fixture and will look to get back to winning ways, to obtain the top position in the league table.

Prior to the match, Albert Roca, head coach of the Blues addressed the media at the press conference. The Spaniard was gutted with the loss against Delhi but also mentioned that Bengaluru would give their all in the encounter against Mumbai. “We played bad (against Delhi Dynamos FC),” he said. “I think it’s our worst game this season. So, we have to improve and do our best if we want to get some points tomorrow. We are playing against a difficult team. But even they lost their last game against Kerala. I think they deserved a better result. So, tomorrow we are set to go again.”

He also mentioned the areas of improvement required in his squad. “We are looking for a better balance in defence and attack and also the balance in results,” he revealed. “After two wins, we are always losing one or two games. So, it’s my goal to improve, have better results and better balance in everything.”

Bengaluru custodian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s form has been fluctuating this season, but Roca was quick to come in defence of the 25-year-old. “He’s (Gurpreet) a nice guy,” he said. “He’s the best goalkeeper I think in India. So, it’s a challenge for him to react and try and do his best. We are very secure about this goalkeeper. It happens, even in a short season, sometimes you are performing well and sometimes things are completely different. Let’s try and be positive. When you have quality, it’s easy to get back your quality.”

Roca also acknowledged the fact that the race to the top-four would not be an easy one, but the team was bracing itself for the challenge ahead. “We are still having a good season,” the 55-year-old opined. “So, we have to keep working and try and get a good result if we want to be among the four teams who qualify for the semifinals. It’s not going to be easy as we know almost all the teams have chances of being there. So, for us, we have to react after that loss in Delhi. That is a challenge.”

He further added, “The difference between the teams are not so big. We are just a team with good players. The other teams have shown that they are of the same level. So, for us, we have to now try and do our best and see if we can be there in the final of the tournament. It has not been easy till now, and it’s not going to be easy till the end of the season.”