Nus was satisfied after packing all three Mumbai City points

 Nus was satisfied after packing all three Mumbai City points

Nus was satisfied after packing all three Mumbai City points

In the 2020-21 Hero, Indian Super League (Hero ISL) at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Saturday, NorthEast United FC head coach Gerard Nus was a happy man following his team's 1-0 victory over Mumbai City FC. For the first time, with just two wins in 18 matches, Nus, in charge of NorthEast United FC, had every reason for the Highlanders to celebrate the victory after an underwhelming season in 2019-20.

"The game we played was a competitive one, I think. We knew what to expect, like Mumbai City, from a brilliant side, and we followed our plan and did a great job. With all my players, I'm so pleased. Even the guys who didn't have a lot of time in the game, or the guys who didn't get a single minute but powered the team off the bench. So I'm happy with the squad, this is the beginning of what I think NorthEast United is a serious season and obviously, I'm happy but need to keep improving In the post-game media contact, Nus said simultaneously.

After Mumbai's Ahmed Jahouh had picked up a red card two minutes from the first half for a lunging tackle from behind the complexion of the match changed entirely. And then Kwesi Appiah, after a Rowllin Borges breach, added insult to injury from the spot four minutes into the second half. Obviously, penalties and sending-offs are moments in any football game, according to Nus: "Obviously, penalties and sending-offs are moments in any football game. They make things go one way or another, but they are just moments in the end. If you relax, you will be punished by a team like Mumbai City, which has the right mindset, is always activated, and very powerful."

The 35-year-old Spaniard underlined the importance of the win as well. "When you begin a new season, it is always nice to start three points. But even though the outcome was not in our favor, you can see that there's a simple pattern of play and that's what I've been saying since day one. We're going to be a fighting team, we're never going to give up and that's what we've seen today and in the friendly matches we've had before the season began, too,' he said.

In the meantime, head coach Sergio Lobera of Mumbai City acknowledged that the red card went a long way towards determining the outcome of the match. Today was a big problem for us because I believe the red card changed the game and it was a big problem for us to play with 10 guys and lose a big player like Jahouh. But for the next game, I have 28 players and I'm very pleased with the team, so after losing only one player, I'm not going to make any excuses for the next game,' he said.

When asked if Mumbai was over-enthusiastic about playing the Lobera football brand in the first half, i.e. expansive in nature, the head coach of Mumbai City said: "We tried to introduce a new style of play, but it's not easy." Four players have previously played with me but the rest of the players are new to my system. I'm still happy, but we need to improve, and by winning, it is necessary to improve. It wasn't possible today, but we need to place all our attention to the next game.