ISL 2020-21: Antonio Lopez Habas warns ATK Mohun Bagan of improved Kerala Blasters FC

By Team Newsable | First Published Jan 31, 2021, 12:46 PM IST

ATK Mohun Bagan is currently placed at the second spot of the 2020-21 Indian Super League. It prepares to take on ninth-laced Kerala Blasters FC. ATKMB is coming off a 1-2 loss against NorthEast United FC, as the former looks to get back to winning ways to challenge for playoffs.

Indian Super League giant, ATK Mohun Bagan is off to a great start to the season, as it is placed second. Meanwhile, it is coming off a narrow 1-2 defeat to fourth-placed NorthEast United FC.

However, ATKMB would look to brush that defeat aside and take on ninth-placed Kerala Blasters FC on Sunday, at the Fatorda Stadium in Bengaluru. Meantime, club manager, Antonio Lopez Habas has warned his boys that Blasters have been improving since the past couple of matches and would be a mistake to rule it out entirely.

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

"Kerala Blasters are a good opponent. I think they had a possibility to win in the last match (against us) and we needed a lot of effort, discipline and intelligence to win that tie. They have improved a lot. But, we have to think about our game and not think about them," he said during the pre-match press conference.

ALSO READ: Sergio Lobera blames sloppy defence following Mumbai City FC's loss to NorthEast United FC

"We have shown improvement in our performance in the last few matches and we have to continue improving. After the first phase of the league, the team has consolidated the system, the idea. Now, we have to improve and increase our attacking performance," he added.

Furthermore, Habas also brought forward the instance of poor referring from the previous game and urged the referees to be more careful while making decisions. "The referee situation, I don't understand. Maybe, we don't have any luck with some referees. In the last match, we conceded the goal even though it was a clear foul. After that one penalty to Roy Krishna was not given and one offside decision (was given). In my opinion, a referee can commit one mistake or two mistakes, but cannot commit three mistakes in the same match. We need to support the referees, but sometimes, I don't understand their decisions. We have to continue. In my career, I have never thought about refereeing before a game and I will continue the same," he concluded.

Watch the entire press conference of Habas here:

For more reliable and latest news