Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky doesn't want to underestimate the opposition as they prepare to take on bottom-placed Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.

The Islanders have been performing exceptionally well in the current season of the Indian Super League. With 19 matches played so far, the team has won 12 games and drawn five, accumulating a total of 41 points.

Under the guidance of their head coach Kratky, Mumbai City FC have been displaying a commendable level of teamwork and skill on the field. The Czech-Australian has been nothing short of impressive and has played a significant role in further strengthening the outfit.

On the other hand, Hyderabad FC have had a rather dismal season, with only one win and 13 losses in their 19 matches. They are currently out of contention for this year's playoffs. Despite this, the team has some talented young players stepping in to fill the ranks and will be playing for pride in the remaining matches.

Head coach Kratky began the press conference by giving his thoughts on the Islanders' next game against Hyderabad FC and what he expects from the match.

"We know how the battle can help us. We have to be ready. For me, it's one of the more difficult games now, after the restart. We have every tool to take it the way we want to take it, but again we have to be ready. We can't underestimate anyone, anyone in this league can beat anyone, and anyone can win games against anyone. So this is a very important game for us. It will not be easy, but we will fight for it," Kratky said during the pre-match press conference.

The head coach shared his thoughts on their new recruit, Jakub Vojtus, who joined the Islanders in March during the international break as a replacement for the season-ruled-out Iker Guarrotxena.

He stated, "He's working hard. I am happy to have got him, he can help the team in certain areas where we need to improve. He's a hard-working person, which is very important and he is good in the changing room. At the end of the day, I haven't seen him in live play so looking forward to seeing him play and then I can tell you a little bit more after the game if he plays.

Kratky was asked to share his thoughts on the attacking brand of football that he and his team have been executing in the ISL, especially regarding the vast number of goal-scorers this season and the added benefit of unpredictability it brings during play.

"Very happy for the team, this is why we play football, you work hard and you get rewarded with goals. The people in good areas help to break the lines and shoot and score goals, that's the strikers' job at the end of the day to score goals. I am very glad it's not just one person because I don't want our team to rely on one person. So I am very happy that there are multiple names on the scoresheet and hopefully, we will just keep going, and then we will become more unpredictable and score from different areas. So very happy with our attack."

All the remaining games will be final for us: Midfielder Jayesh Rane

Mumbai City FC head coach Kratky was accompanied by their Indian midfielder Jayesh Rane during the pre-match press conference ahead of their match against Hyderabad FC.

The 31-year-old midfielder has made a total of 14 appearances for Mumbai City FC so far in this season of the ISL, providing a couple of assists.

Rane spoke highly of the inter-team competition that's prevalent within Mumbai City FC. He notably affirmed how such healthy competition often propels the players to go the extra mile and provide when called upon.

"I think competition is very important, if there is competition there will be people who step up if there is no competition it won't be good, so it's good for every one of us. We know if we are not there, someone else will be stepping up. It's also difficult for the coach to pick. I think it's good, it gives me motivation to work harder and grow as a player," He affirmed.

The Mumbai-born player concluded the press conference by sharing his thoughts on their match against Hyderabad FC and the team's mentality going into the fixture.

"Obviously, it's a very important game for us, all the remaining games will be a final for us. We have to play like finals because they won the last game and they will be high on confidence, we should not take anyone for granted and just do what we do and give our best, that's it," He stated, as the press conference came to a close.