East Bengal will look to deliver a crucial performance against Al Seeb in the AFC Champions League Two on Tuesday (November 3), with head coach Antonio Lopez Habas emphasising the importance of precision in front of goal and midfielder Mohammed Rashid urging the team to approach the fixture with a must-win mentality.

The Red and Gold Brigade have been working with limited training time amid a demanding competition schedule. Habas admitted that while he is satisfied with the squad’s physical condition, the team has had little opportunity to work extensively on the training ground ahead of the contest.

“I like the state of the squad and the physicality. We only have two training sessions – one focused on recovery and the other on tactical preparation. We simply don’t have the opportunity to train more,” Habas said.

The East Bengal coach also pointed towards the team’s need to improve its finishing. Habas believes creating opportunities is not enough, particularly at this level, where failing to convert chances can prove costly. He stressed that precision and technical quality will be decisive factors.

“We need precision. When you have five or six chances to score and fail to convert them, the problem is precision. Sometimes nerves and the intensity of the competition affect the quality, but ultimately, it comes down to the players’ precision and technical quality,” he added.

Rashid, meanwhile, underlined the significance of the Al Seeb encounter, insisting that the players must focus entirely on the immediate challenge rather than looking ahead to subsequent fixtures. The midfielder wants East Bengal to approach the game with the urgency and determination of a knockout contest.

“The mentality starts from tomorrow. It’s the final game for us. We don’t look at the next two games afterwards. It’s either you win or you don’t get the points. We have to approach it like a final,” Rashid said.

The midfielder also acknowledged the frustration of missed opportunities but maintained that the team must continue creating chances and remain focused on improving. Rashid pointed out that players always want to score, even when circumstances or the opposition goalkeeper prevent them from doing so.

“The chances are coming. Players are doing what they can to score, but sometimes luck has to do with it a little bit. No player who gets a chance doesn’t want to score. You just have to focus on what’s coming next and keep improving,” he concluded.