ATK Mohun Bagan played out a frustrating 1-1 draw against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Thursday. Redeem Tlang and Joni Kauko scored for their respective sides while Roy Krishna was sent off in the game.
ATKMB head coach Juan Ferrando was visibly disappointed in his team's performance after the game.
Asked about his thoughts on the match, the Spaniard gaffer kept it short and said:
"Disappointing for us. Our target was to get three points. This is my thought for today's game."
Owing to the postponement of their fixtures earlier after a COVID-19 outbreak in their camp, the Mariners have a string of fixtures within a short span. The ATKMB head coach had earlier said the decreased gap between matches has affected the recovery of their players. Tonight, ATK Mohun Bagan were forced into making changes due to injuries.
Ferrando added:
"It’s difficult when you make the necessary substitutions for injuries. When players are ready you can make substitutions depending on the performance, depending on that moment if you want to change the plan. But when you lose three substitutions for injuries it gets difficult. But this is not an excuse it's a problem for all the teams because of quarantine and no training then you come to play two games in three days, it’s normal."
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"I'm really proud of the performance of my players" - Odisha FC boss after their performance against ATK Mohun Bagan
Meanwhile, Odisha FC head coach Kino Garcia rued his side's missed chances, however he was happy with his ISL team's performance. The draw keeps Odisha FC seventh in the league standings with one game left in their season. However, their chances of making it into the top four are over.
What did Kino Garcia make of his side's performance against ATK Mohun Bagan? The Spaniard said:
"I think we had many chances. We had a plan against ATK Mohun Bagan, we knew how to close the spaces and I think that we didn't suffer a lot against one of the best teams in the Hero ISL. We had really good chances, with Aridai and also the penalty so, I think that we had really clear chances during the game and I'm really proud of the performance of my players and how they gave everything today on the pitch."
The Juggernauts now have a 10-day rest period ahead of their next game and Garcia said the plan is for the players to enjoy the final match.