Atlético de Kolkata head coach Antonio Lopez Habas is not complacent ahead of their 2015 Hero Indian Super League encounter against FC Pune City at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Friday.The defending champions are currently at the top of the table with 20 points from 12 matches but have never beaten the Stallions in their previous three encounters. Habas has reasons not to take their opponents lightly.“It is going to be a difficult game and we have to play with maximum intensity and we have to respect the opponents. We lost 0-1 against Pune [earlier in the season]. We have to have maximum discipline and intensity in the game. They are going to play for classification too, so it’s important for both sides. We need the home support and we are happy with the support we received against Goa,” Habas told reporters on Thursday.When enquired about the “likely” magic number for the semi-final qualification, the Spaniard said: “Three points in the next game is the magic number, magic wand and magic everything. I don’t want to talk about the future or the past. I want to talk about the here and now. My philosophy is that the team should have their feet on the ground.”Habas also said that he was confident of successfully defending their title. “I have confidence in my players. The most important thing in football is the players. The coach can motivate the team but it’s the players who do the job.”With the league stage not very far from its end, Habas, whose team has the best goal difference at seven, stressed its importance. “I prefer winning every game 1-0 than winning only one with 7-5. I think it’s very important. I think we have the best goal difference in the league but it’s more important for me to win the three points,” he said.
