Bruno Cirillo (L) and Dudu OmagbemiFC Pune City recorded an upset win over league leaders Atlético de Kolkata with a comprehensive 3-1 victory at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, a result that left the team visibly delighted. It also moved the team up into third place in the league standings, putting them right in the thick of things in terms of qualifying for the semifinals.Assistant coach Devan Daniel, captain Bruno Cirillo, and ‘Hero of the Match’ Dudu Omagbemi addressed the media in the post-match press conference, and they were clearly satisfied with both the result and performance against Kolkata. The team ethic stood out from both captain Cirillo and man of the moment Dudu, whose opening goal set his team on the way to victory. The Nigerian striker preferred to talk about the team’s second goal, a long-range stunner scored by Greek midfielder Kostas. “It was a great goal! Fantastic!” exclaimed Dudu.The striker highlighted the significance of picking up three points against the league leaders, away from home no less. “We came here with great determination. We wanted to win,” Dudu emphasised. “We have got three points, so we can go home happy.”When asked if this result, a second straight win for the Pune side, was a sign that his team were capable of finishing in the top four, Cirillo said, “I think if we can play like today with this strength, then we are not scared of anybody.” He went onto add, “We are a team which plays with good touch and good power. So if we can continue to play like this, we have a good chance to make it to the semis.” Dudu echoed his skipper’s thoughts. “Don’t underestimate our team. Today we have proved that we can do it!” the striker quipped.The win was especially notable for the fact that it was achieved without marquee player David Trezeguet. The legendary Frenchman is also the club captain, but Cirillo, stand-in captain for the night, pointed out that Trezeguet’s absence provided a great chance for Dudu to show his worth. “David is a great player, but his absence was Dudu’s opportunity. I am very happy for him, he did a great job,” asserted Cirillo.The Italian went on to emphasise the quality, depth, and team spirit of the whole Pune squad, as evidenced by the win over Kolkata. “This proves we have a good team. We have many good players. We are very happy as a family.”Kolkata striker Fikru had a quiet night, shackled by the Pune defence and only scoring from a late penalty. When asked if stopping Fikru was the key behind their win, Cirillo again credited his teammates for keeping out not just Fikru but the entire Kolkata attack – the league’s second-highest scoring team going into this game. “It was a total team effort in every department.”“I think Kolkata is a very big team, but today we did a fantastic job in every area,” Cirillo concluded.
