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FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez has stated that Mumbai City FC are tactically a strong team boasting several talented players in their squad. The Gaurs qualified for the ISL semifinals after defeating Chennaiyin FC 2-1 at home in Fatorda during a playoffs knockout fixture on Saturday, April 20.
At the pre-match press conference ahead of FC Goa's upcoming semifinal first-leg fixture against the Islanders in Fatorda on Wednesday, April 24, Marquez insisted that he expects a tightly-fought contest and heaped praise on Mumbai.
Marquez even asserted that the semifinal clash is entirely different from the regular season league encounter, saying:
"The games in the playoffs are completely different from those in the regular season. We will face a strong side, but my feeling is that the games will be very equal because even in the regular season competition, we drew both games. They are a strong team with talented players and a cohesive collective."
"You need to be calm, but you also need to be brave at the same moment" - Manolo Marquez
The two sides met each other twice in the regular season, with both games ending in a draw. While the clash in Fatorda ended 0-0, the match at the Mumbai Football Arena finished 1-1.
About FC Goa's approach to the highly crucial semifinal against Petr Kratky's men, Manolo Marquez highlighted the importance of staying calm as well as brave under the challenging circumstances of the game.
"It’s a game of at least 180 if there is no extra time. You need to know how to manage all the situations in a game. You need to be calm, but you also need to be brave at the same moment. The team that is mentally stronger usually is the team that qualifies for the semi-final, in this case for the final," the Spaniard explained.
Despite coming close to laying hands on the ISL Cup trophy on two occasions previously, FC Goa failed to go all the way, losing the 2015 and 2018-19 finals against Chennaiyin FC (3-2) and Bengaluru FC (1-0), respectively.
After Wednesday's first-leg semifinal clash in Fatorda, the two teams will head to Mumbai for the second leg on Monday, April 29.
