ISL 2023-24: Petr Kratky delighted with Mumbai City FC's emphatic win over Hyderabad FC; WATCH highlights
Mumbai City FC strengthened their position at the top of the table with a clinical 3-0 victory against Hyderabad FC at the Gachibowli Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 on Monday.
FollowMumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky expressed satisfaction with his team's performance as they secured a comfortable victory over Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.
Despite a strong start from the hosts, Mumbai City FC took the lead in the 18th minute through Lallianzuala Chhangte, capitalizing on a brilliant counterattack. This early goal shifted the momentum in favor of the away team, setting the stage for their second goal.
Thirty-one minutes into the game, Mehtab Singh doubled Mumbai City FC's lead by heading home a precise cross from Thaer Krouma. With a two-goal advantage, Mumbai City FC entered the second half in a commanding position.
In the dying moments of the match, Jorge Pereyra Diaz converted a penalty to seal a comprehensive 3-0 victory for Mumbai City FC.
Analyzing the match, the head coach felt that it was indeed a difficult game and gave due credit to their luck for not having conceded an early goal.
“We knew coming here would be very difficult, especially after the restart, these games are always difficult. So we knew that. And we were right. It wasn’t an easy game for us, we could’ve conceded a very early goal. We were lucky we didn't. And then slowly we got into the game. But we need to improve a bit more before heading into the final two games,” stated Kratky in the post-match press conference.
Jorge Pereyra Diaz proved to be a pivotal player for the Islanders in their clash against Hyderabad FC. He played a significant role in creating four goal-scoring opportunities for his team and further solidified his contribution by scoring his seventh goal of the season from the penalty spot.
Head coach Petr Kratky expressed his delight at having the star forward back with the team after he missed several matches due to illness.
“Very happy for him (Jorge Pereyra Diaz). He's a very important part of the team. So we missed him before (when he was out with sickness), now he's back. He scored a goal. So fantastic,” he shared.
Appreciating the rest of his frontline, the Czech Australian added, “And we know Bipin Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh, they are top wingers. As for me, I've got a headache about which one I can start because all of them are doing a very, very good job. So I have to just manage the game time and manage their expectations.”
The 42-year-old coach expressed relief knowing he had done his homework before facing Thangboi Singto's team, and he duly credited Singto for the fighting spirit displayed by his side.
Kratky shared, “We were expecting Hyderabad FC would press us but we did our homework. We tried some things about it. We needed to be a little bit quicker, a little bit better in that. But, again that's the tactical awareness and credit again to the coach (Singto) as well, you know.”
Mumbai City FC's upcoming fixture is against third-placed Odisha FC at home on April 8. Kratky acknowledges that facing the formidable Kalinga Warriors will serve as motivation for his players, considering their status as one of the top teams in the league.
“We play Odisha FC (next). So one of the benefits of playing these big clubs is the self-motivation. So I'm not expecting anything else than hard work and that they will be motivated to go. We play at home in front of the fans. So we will be excited to play that game and we will go for it, and we will put maximum effort in it and we'll see (what happens),” he concluded.
