ATK Mohun Bagan did the double over Bengaluru FC in Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2020-21 after a 2-0 win over the Blues at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday. The Mariners dominated the match from the start and netted twice in the first half through a Roy Krishna penalty and a Marcelo Pereira freekick. The win put them within a point of the summit in the standings and ATK Mohun Bagan’s head coach Antonio Lopez Habas was proud of his team after Tuesday’s display.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Habas said, “I think the team played a fantastic match today. We controlled the match and the play. And I am proud of my players.”

He went on to elaborate why he wanted his players to keep a close eye on Sunil Chhetri, who Habas had identified as Bengaluru’s biggest threat. “Yes [they did a good job in controlling Sunil Chhetri]. He is a legend in India. In football you have to respect the player and Chhetri is the captain of the national team. I know him from Hero ISL 2014 and I have the same concept about him this season and the last season. I congratulate him on his career because for me he’s one of the best players in India,” Habas said.

The Spaniard also offered his thoughts on the impact that Marcelo has had on the Mariners ever since joining the club in the winter transfer market. “I think Marcelinho is a good player and a clever player. We have to use his talents for the team and need to use Marcelinho for the team and not the team for Marcelinho. I’ve spoken to him and he’s absolutely committed to the team,” Habas stated.

Watch Antonio Lopez Habas' Post-Match Press conference here:

Meanwhile, Bengaluru interim head coach Naushad Moosa shared his thoughts on the game. “We started the game well and we were going well until the water break, but the players lost their motivation after the penalty. Then we conceded unnecessary fouls after getting frustrated and we could have controlled that better,” he said.

On his side’s response after going two goals down, Moosa added: “I think it’s always difficult to come back into a game, especially against a team like ATK Mohun Bagan who are strong in defence and have quality players… the way we started was good. We wanted to stay calm and keep the ball, we were doing well. In the second half, we did try but things didn’t work out in our favour.”

When asked about his team’s top-four prospects, Moosa replied: “It all depends on the other teams. The only thing that we need to do is to stay positive and play some good football in our remaining three games.”

Watch Naushad Moosa's Post-Match Press conference here: