FC Pune City travel to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi to take on Delhi Dynamos FC in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 on Friday. The Stallions have already qualified for the semi-finals, but would look to put behind an upsetting 4 – 0 loss to FC Goa in their previous match. Getting back their winning momentum is of utmost importance to the visitors and maximum points will secure for them the second position in the table.

Addressing the media during the pre-match press conference was their head coach Ranko Popovic, who explained how their loss to the Gaurs was a learning experience for his team. “We have to come out of the shock if we want to do something,” he stated. “We have to do what we were doing before the last game. I had been warning about this; not because I am super-intelligent, but because of experience. I have been telling players that when you reach something, it is always dangerous to relax. Sometimes, it is good to have these things because it is part of the experience.”

The Serbian also spoke about the importance of finishing the season with a flourish. “This is the last game of the regular season, so it is important to have a nice finish and leave a good impression,” he said. “For me, the way how you perform is important. If you give everything on the pitch, then you can be unsatisfied with the result, but never with yourself.”

The visitors would be missing their Brazilian star Marcelinho, who picked up a red card in Pune’s last match, but Popovic stressed the importance of not having the reputation of a one-man-army. “Marcelinho is one of the best players ever in the league and it is very important to have him in the squad,” the 50-year-old remarked. “But when we play without Marcelinho, it is important to show that we are a team that is not dependant on one player. This should be a motivation to every player to demonstrate and show we can replace him in one or two games when he is not playing. It will not be easy, but it is a good challenge for us.”