Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Antonio Habas is expecting a tough game against NorthEast United FC, whom they take on in their forthcoming Indian Super League (ISL) game at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday.

The Mariners are unbeaten in their last three matches, having secured seven out of nine possible points. Habas' side are currently sitting in the fourth spot with 26 points in 13 matches. Notably, Mohun Bagan SG has won six of their last nine games against the Highlanders.

Mohun Bagan SG will have their eyes fixed on the upcoming match, as they will look for vital three points to improve their position in the standings. Habas also shared his concern about their tight schedule but is optimistic about maintaining their good form.

“We have the same target, which is to get the three points,” he said in the pre-match press conference.

“Sometimes it’s possible, but other times it’s not because the opponent also plays to win. We have to recover from the last match because we are playing after three days. We had to travel to Goa for the match in humid conditions a few days ago, and now we have to play again tomorrow (on Saturday),” he added.

Tomorrow we take on Highlanders at Salt Lake Stadium💚❤️#MBSG #JoyMohunBagan #আমরাসবুজমেরুন pic.twitter.com/yDT9R3nLo4

— Mohun Bagan Super Giant (@mohunbagansg) February 16, 2024

The 66-year-old had words of praise for NorthEast United FC and their head coach, Juan Pedro Benali. Habas anticipates a very challenging game against the Highlanders.

“I like NorthEast United FC. They have a good coach. He changed the formations of his team, and they can play seamlessly with different systems,” he revealed.

“They make it difficult for opponents to counter-attack and have had a good result in the last match. They will be a difficult opponent to play against,” he continued.

Mohun Bagan SG's 20-year-old Dippendu Biswas has impressed in recent games for the club and is gaining regular playing time in the ISL under the Spanish head coach. Speaking about the talent and potential that he noticed in the youngster, Habas stated, “In training, I saw that his (Dippendu Biswas) condition was really good. From the first day, I talked with my staff about the possibility of playing young players. We are very happy with him.”

“He’s a talented young player who has a long career in front of him and someone who can play with the senior team. And now that he has an experienced player like Hector (Yuste) there with him, to guide him is important for his development too,” he signed off.

We are ready to face all the problems: Hector Yuste

Spanish defender Hector Yuste accompanied his head coach in the press conference ahead of their next home game against NorthEast United FC. Yuste admitted that they don’t have much time to prepare for the game but is confident in his side's ability to carry forward the momentum.

“Honestly, we have no time yet to prepare for the game. Yesterday (Thursday) we came back, so today we will train. We will see what the coach wants,” he said.

“In this league, there are many good offensive players. So always, we have to prepare and see all the options. We know that they are in a good moment, but we are confident because we are coming from a good game as well. I think that now the team is focused, and we are ready to face all the problems that they can create,” he concluded.