Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergetis is expecting a better performance from his side when they take on FC Goa in the final game of Indian Super League (ISL) matchweek 2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Monday. The Shers faced defeat in their first-ever game in the ISL at the hands of Mohun Bagan Super Giant, with a scoreline of 3-1.

Punjab FC will now take the learnings from the first game and aim to improve upon them in the match against FC Goa. The Greek tactician appeared calm ahead of the game as he spoke about his team's shortcomings in their first ISL game against Mohun Bagan Super Giant and how he plans to enhance the team's performance in their next match.

"The first game was not good for us. We had some good periods, but we have to increase that good periods game by game. We need to play better football, and I am confident that with more games, it will come," Vergetis said in the pre-match press conference.

Vergetis praised the quality of the ISL teams and the league as a whole. He believes that the faster gameplay in the league makes it more interesting.

"The ISL features more transition-based games. We can see numerous transitions and very fast ball movement from one area to another, sometimes with continuous transitions. This makes the game more interesting, beautiful, and fast," he stated.

The Shers will play their second consecutive away game in the ISL. When asked about whether this is a disadvantage for his side, the Greek head coach said, "Nowadays, our players have more knowledge about football, and they are better prepared. It's not an issue whether we play at home or away. I am sure that most players prefer to play in full stadiums rather than half-filled or empty ones; this way, the players enjoy football more."

After a postponement of their match in matchweek 1, FC Goa would be eager to kickstart their ISL campaign under their new manager, Manolo Marquez. Prior to the game, the head coach of Punjab FC shared his thoughts on their opponent and remarked, "I don't have a lot of information about FC Goa since they didn't play their first game, and from the friendly matches, we couldn't gather as much information as we would have liked. However, I can see that the team is well-balanced. They have suitable players for each position who understand their roles. They excel in transitions, defend well, pose a threat in attack, and are a well-balanced team."

Punjab FC defender Nikhil Prabhu joined Staikos Vergetis in the pre-match press conference. Prabhu made a move to the newly promoted ISL side during the summer transfer window. Ahead of facing his former club, FC Goa, the defender talked about the team's mindset before the game against FC Goa.

"The mindset of the team and the coach remains the same going into every match: to secure all three points. We have different plans for each game, and our playing style involves building up from the back. The coach is instilling confidence in us, and we aim to secure three points in every match," Prabhu said.