Calcutta: For Jose Molina, it doesn't really matter that Atletico de Kolkata played out as many as eight draws to make the last-four stage of ISL for the third time in a row. Qualifying for the semis is all that counts, he believes.
ATK will stay alive if they play out another draw in the first-leg semi-final tie against Mumbai City FC on Saturday, at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium. But when the two teams clash again in the second-leg encounter, in Mumbai City's den, the going might not be easy at all for Molina's boys. And so the Spaniard would perhaps tell his players that a draw might not be the ideal result.
Mumbai City had beaten ATK the last time the teams met here. They have been bolstered by Sunil Chetri's inclusion in the team. And if the Indian captain is on song, ATK will certainly have to watch out.
For ATK, the trick would be to be confident and not get overawed by Mumbai City's strong strike force. And that includes Uruguayan Diego Forlan and Haitian Sony Norde too.
"Obviously, we have to raise our game and we'll be trying to win Saturday's match and do well next Tuesday in order to reach the final. But there's no special plan for Forlan or Chetri. We are playing against the Mumbai City team, not individuals," Molina insisted after ATK's training session on Friday.
"Besides, in the ISL, the standard of the teams is more or less the same. There's not at all a big difference between Mumbai City and us... Don't think they have any extra advantage.
"We play a bit differently, that's it... But yes, it will be another tough game tomorrow."
The coach's approach might help his players stay calm, but ATK's defenders might have their task cut out if Arnab Mondal fails to make the XI. On Friday, he wasn't seen to be training along with his teammates and Molina too admitted that there's "a bit of a problem" with the stopper-back.
For Mumbai City, more than their strength in both defence and forward line, it's their mentality that has taken them to the semis for the first time, something even Forlan highlighted. "You might be super-talented, physically strong with a lot of skills... But if your mentality is not good enough, it hardly matters how much of quality you have in yourself.
"You need to have the right mentality to believe in yourself. That's what I keep telling these young players here," Mumbai City's marquee man said.
Forlan was the hero when Mumbai City beat ATK here back on October 25. But that's a thing of the past and has to be forgotten, the superstar made it clear.
"It will be an interesting as well as a difficult game tomorrow... Doesn't matter what we did in the previous game against them. All I can say is that we are confident of ourselves, having finished the league stage at the top and everyone one of us will be trying to give our best," he said.
Things might get tougher for ATK if coach Alexandre Guimaraes decides to draft Sony into the XI. But Mumbai City prefer to remain cautious. "We made the semis for the very first time, while it's the third time for ATK. I think that says it all about how we will be approaching this game," Guimaraes said.
In this sense, Molina is spot on target when he says there's no underdogs or favourites in this game. "You call us underdogs? Well, I really don't think so...
"Honestly, we don't have time to waste thinking of who are underdogs and who are favourites. Our point is to prepare well, play our best and reach the final. That's it."
JOURNEY SO FAR
ATK and Mumbai City have met six times in the ISL. While ATK have won twice, Mumbai City have prevailed thrice. One match ended in a draw.Here’s how the teams fared in ISL 3:
♦ Atletico de Kolkata
Matches 14, Win 4,
Draw 8, Loss 2
♦ Mumbai City
Matches 14, Win 6,
Draw 5, Loss 3
