Jamshedpur FC take on ATK in a tough away fixture at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday. Jamshedpur will be looking to reclaim top spot in the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 standings and maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign, having won two and drawn one of their opening three matches so far.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Jamshedpur head coach Antonio Iriondo stated, “We know we are playing against a great team. It’s a very serious team, and when I say serious, I mean they really want to play. They have a lot of quality in the team. I know the head coach (Habas) as well. They are a very attacking team. Also, they have some great players who have played here for a while.”

ATK beat Hyderabad FC by five goals in their last home game but the Jamshedpur boss believes that keeping possession of the ball may help them nullify the hosts’ attacking threat. “That (5-0) match is in the past. Every match is different. So, we will try to leave an impression. We are focused on our next match and the result we can get. We have a plan. The plan is to keep the ball for 90 minutes so they cannot touch it. But we aren’t sure if it is going to work yet.”

One player who has blossomed under Iriondo is Jamshedpur’s young forward Farukh Choudhary. “I can tell you that Farukh has grown a lot in the last two months. He is improving quite fast and if he keeps improving this way then he will definitely play for the national team,” the Spaniard said after being asked about the 22-year-old’s prospects in the Indian national team for the upcoming games against Afghanistan and Oman.

Speaking about his Hero ISL experience so far, the veteran Spaniard stated, "I am enjoying here, and I am trying to live every second of this experience which is great."

Iriondo was joined by midfielder Bikash Jairu, who seemed pumped for the upcoming clash. “I am definitely looking forward to the game against ATK. It is important to give your 100% for the team in every game. So yes, I am pumped for the upcoming clash.”

Read the match preview here.