01 November,2015 08:23 AM IST | | Amit Kamath
Having won their last three matches with ease, Mumbai City FC will start as favourites when they host an out-of-sorts Atletico de Kolkata today in an Indian Super League (ISL) football match at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium
Nicolas Anelka
Having won their last three matches with ease, Mumbai City FC will start as favourites when they host an out-of-sorts Atletico de Kolkata today in an Indian Super League (ISL) football match at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.
Nicolas Anelka. Pic/Suresh KK
In sharp contrast to Mumbai's recent run of form - they have scored nine goals in their wins over Delhi Dynamos, FC Goa and NorthEast United FC, Kolkata have lost their last three matches by identical 0-1 scorelines.
However, Mumbai's marquee player cum manager Nicolas Anelka has warned his team against taking their rivals too lightly. "There are no easy games in the ISL. It'll be a good game even if it's hard for them right now.
We've endured a hard time as well in the beginning (when the Mumbai team had just one point from their first three matches). It's going to be hard, it's a good team which play good football.
"Right now we're very happy, but things can change very quickly - three games into the season we were almost last, and today we're in a good position," Anelka told reporters on Saturday.
Having said that, the Frenchman said his side will go all out for victory today. "We are playing at home and we will play to win. It's a different game and we go on the pitch knowing we have the home advantage. Of course, we want to win but we are playing a good team tomorrow. We have to try our best.
"If we want to be in the semis, maybe we need more than 20 points. Right now, we have 10, so there's a long way to go. That's what I said to my players," Anelka said.
