FC Goa will be on the road to face Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. The Gaurs have enjoyed a productive first half of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 season, winning more games than any other team and losing just one fixture. Those numbers though have hardly affected Goa head coach, Sergio Lobera who feels his team need to learn from their mistakes and keep improving.

He said, “We have to study and learn and improve our mistakes. We have made mistakes in every match. We are working in the same way, to try and improve 100% for the next game. I think it is very important to play between the lines. In the last match (against Odisha FC), we had too much distances between the lines and it’s difficult to combine in attack and defence.”

“I think it’s important to keep the possession, press the opposition team, recover the ball faster. In the last match, the opponent team had the ball in situations very easily and were very comfortable. I think intensity is the most important thing. For me it is necessary to improve certain things because we want to win matches and finish the season in the best possible position,” added the Spaniard while speaking at his pre-match press conference.

Coming to his analysis of Chennaiyin, the Goa boss said, “I think in the last two matches, with a new coach (Owen Coyle), Chenaniyin have done some changes. They play with more intensity and have a good balance in both offence and defence. They have played two matches and deserved to win two matches. Against Jamshedpur, in my analysis as a coach, they deserved to win. It is going to be a difficult match against a very good team, who are in good dynamics after the change of coach. John Gregory did a very good job with Chennaiyin, but now the reaction of the players with the change is important.”

Stressing the need to focus, the 42-year-old voiced, “I think it’s very important to focus on the next game, and not think about where we can finish in the season. Focus is very important against Chennaiyin. Our next game is against Chennaiyin. Now is not the moment to think about where the team will finish at the end of the season.”

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz, who was seated alongside Lobera at the media gathering, said, “I have learned many things from last season as well. I have got confidence to play now. I don’t have any mental pressure to play. The coach gives me confidence and they are working to support and correct me when I make mistakes. I am learning in every match.”