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Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Antonio Lopez Habas has highlighted the importance of staying balanced irrespective of a game's result.
Speaking at the post-match press conference after his side's scintillating 4-2 victory at home against NorthEast United FC on Saturday, February 17, the 66-year-old said:
"When we go to the final (I’ll be the happiest). Now it’s normal. This is part of my job. It’s not good when you get too happy upon winning and too angry when you lose. You need to have balance, that’s the secret."
The Mariners are unbeaten in the ISL since Habas took over the reins last month, having won three out of the four matches they have played so far after the league restarted.
"We have a fantastic group and a good team" - Antonio Lopez Habas
A delighted Antonio Lopez Habas heaped praise on his players over their current form, saying:
"The energy, the commitment, the attitude were crucial for the win. I think we have a fantastic group and a good team at the moment."
Mohun Bagan Super Giant were trailing for most of the first half as a sixth-minute Tomi Juric penalty gave the Highlanders a 1-0 lead. The home team staged a comeback just minutes before the break to make it 2-1, thanks to goals from Liston Colaco and Jason Cummings.
The in-form Juric then equalized for Juan Pedro Benali's men by completing his brace in the 50th minute. Three minutes later, Dimitri Petratos once again put Mohun Bagan in front, with Sahal Abdul Samad making it 4-2 in the 57th minute.
Revealing what made the difference for his team despite conceding an early goal, Antonio Lopez Habas stated:
"We had a lot of time to recover from the situation (after conceding early) and score goals. In the first moment, it was very difficult to accept the situation (of being behind) but the team was strong. They believed in our ideas and we didn’t have any problem after that."
With Saturday's victory, Habas' team have climbed to the second spot in the 2023-24 ISL points table with 29 points from 14 matches.
Trailing league leaders Odisha FC by just two points, there is a bright chance of the defending ISL champions clinching the League Winners' Shield this season
