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ATK Mohun Bagan scripted a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Kerala Blasters FC in their last Indian Super League game. The Mariners are unbeaten in 12 straight games under head coach Juan Ferrando. ATKMB will next face Odisha FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa on Thursday.
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Ahead of the game, Juan Ferrando was asked if he felt a victory against the Juggernauts would be enough to seal a top-four spot. The Spaniard said:
"No, I'm not thinking about the top four because, you know, I'm thinking about the first position. We'll see what happens in the upcoming days for us. We have really close games (in the context of the semi-finals). Yeah, I think the next two weeks will be really interesting for the supporters."
The game against Odisha will be pivotal for ATK Mohun Bagan as a loss could dampen their season. The Mariners defense will be heavily tested when they face Jonathas de Jesus tomorrow. How does Juan Ferrando plan to contain the Brazilian forward? He explained:
"All the time, I’ve explained the same thing. The most important thing is to control all the (players in the) team. If we focus on one player, it's a loss of energy. Odisha FC are a good team. Of course, they have very good foreign players and also local players like Jerry (Mawihmingthanga). But it is necessary to put complete focus on the entire team."
View the today's ISL match results here.
"If Liston Colaco is not 100% ready, we have Michael Soosairaj" - ATK Mohun Bagan's Juan Ferrando
Meanwhile, Juan Ferrando also reflected on ATK Mohun Bagan's performance in their draw against Kerala Blasters FC. The Spanish gaffer believed that the Mariners were better throughout the game but fell victim to Adrian Luna's vicious strikes.
Although ATKMB fought back to regain a point, their breakout star Liston Colaco wasn't at his best. Asked whether Colaco's off-form was related to his physical condition, the head coach opined:
"No, it's not a problem with his physical condition. The problem is when you play six, seven games in three weeks, this is a problem for all the teams and players. But, if Liston is not 100% ready, we have (Michael) Soosairaj, but he was in the process of recovering from different injuries."
