The semi-final matchup between Atlético de Kolkata and FC Goa pits two teams coming into the game on the back of contrasting form. While Goa went unbeaten over their last eight games to go from bottom of the league table to second place, Kolkata only registered one win in their final 10 games. However, the two teams were evenly-matched when they played on the final day of the league phase, just four days before their semi-final. That game ended in a 1-1 draw, and with Kolkata having won 2-1 in Goa earlier in the season, their form against Goa is certainly more promising than their league form overall. Goa have shown during their resurgence that they are capable of beating any team, though, and thus the pressure is on Atlético de Kolkata as they host the first leg of their semi-final. Head coach Antonio Lopez Habas and marquee player Luis García, who addressed the media in the press conference on the eve of the match, denied any suggestions they were under greater pressure than their semi-final rivals. “If we are thinking about pressure then we should stay home,” stated Habas emphatically. “I think there can’t be any favourites in the semi-finals of a tournament with such high competition. We are expecting an even game tomorrow.”García echoed this coach’s thoughts. “Goa have been doing pretty well in their past few games. But this is a semi-final game. They are here because they must have done something good, but we are also here; that says we did some good things, too. We will try to focus on our game and try to play well,” emphasised the ex-Liverpool striker.Having played in several high-profile matches over his career, García shared his experience of the intensities of any semi-final match. “It doesn’t matter where you are playing, you will feel the pressure everywhere. For us, it has been hard work until the semi-finals and we would like to continue to prove ourselves as a team. We have two games to prove it and we are going to try our best,” said García. He went on to describe the different mentality for teams playing at this stage of a tournament. “It’s very different. When a team plays in the early phase of the tournament, they can still recover and come back from a loss, but right now there is nothing more. You have to take this game and go through, or else you will have to go home, and this will change your mentality. You will have to give your 100%, because there will be no tomorrow.”Head coach Habas brushed aside a question suggesting his team’s recent lack of winning form was down to not deploying an attacking strategy. “We always try to play attacking football,” asserted the Spanish gaffer. “Sometimes we get successful in that, sometimes we don’t.” The 57-year-old also remained tight-lipped about the injury status of star striker Fikru, as well as a few other players in the squad. “We are not worried about the injuries. We still have 24 hours to observe and take the decisions on their availability,” Habas concluded.
