Kolkata derby: East Bengal faces Mohun Bagan SG in bid for first-ever play-off spot in ISL 2023-24

The match comes at a crucial juncture of the Indian Super League where Mohun Bagan is looking to claim its first League Shield while East Bengal is struggling for a spot in the play-offs.

Manvir Singh of Mohun Bagan Super Giants during the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ISL

There will be a marked rise in the decibel level of the city when a brimming Salt Lake Stadium plays host to the season’s final derby where Mohun Bagan SG will be looking to set the record straight against its traditional rival East Bengal FC, here on Sunday.

The match comes at a crucial juncture of the Indian Super League where Mohun Bagan is looking to claim its first League Shield while East Bengal is struggling for survival. Currently placed third, Mohun Bagan has 33 points from 16 matches and is a strong candidate for the league winner’s spot while East Bengal is lying in the 10 spot with 18 points from as many outings.

If the derby meetings of the season are assessed in seclusion then the psychological advantage is with East Bengal for having two wins under its belt in the previous four meetings across all competitions.

Mohun Bagan, despite losing the first meeting of the season, won the Durand Cup beating East Bengal, which again reversed the result in the Super Cup on the way to winning the title. However, the record in ISL has been quite disheartening for East Bengal fans as Mohun Bagan has won six out of the seven meetings so far.

The only relief for East Bengal was the 2-2 draw in the last meeting (on February 3) that provisionally ended the string of losses against its traditional rival in the ISL.

The last draw significantly sparked the turnaround for Mohun Bagan which revived its fortunes under Antonio Lopez Habas. Mohun Bagan has been unbeaten since then and has picked up four wins and two draws in the stretch of six unbeaten matches. This happened as the veteran Spanish coach made a return to the city to take over the reins of the team which was struggling under the charge of his younger compatriot Juan Ferrando.

“We are not overconfident but this match is happening in an absolutely different situation. East Bengal is fighting for place in the top six while we are playing for top place in the league table. In football, it is important to find the balance and I hope the team will be able to play according to the plan,” Habas said on the eve of the match.

“It was about commitment, hard work and discipline which has helped us perform well as a team in the last few matches,” he added.

Mohun Bagan will be missing its defensive midfielder Deepak Tangri owing to suspension while there are some injury worries to players like Sahal Abdul Samad, Ashish Rai and the Australian defender Brendan Hamill, that will be bothering Habas.

The form of Australian forward Dimitri Petratos and the Finnish play-maker Joni Kauko along with the Indians like Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco and Anwar Ali will be keeping the Mohun Bagan camp upbeat about getting a good result. These names have been contributing in a big way to the resurrection of Mohun Bagan’s performance in the second phase.

East Bengal, which just lost its ‘away’ venture against Goa, would be looking to regain its form in time and preserve the high ground it has so long maintained against Mohun Bagan in the season. With a team that is currently faltering with its performance, East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat will have to figure out the right plan to orchestrate the performance that could bring about the desired result.

“Mohun Bagan is the favourite in tomorrow’s match as far as their recent results are concerned. They have the dynamics and the momentum. We are also fighting for a play-off berth so we are also motivated to go for a win. Moreover, we are also going to defend the (East Bengal) logo,” Cuadrat said about the feelings in his camp.

East Bengal will be missing the services of right-back Mohammad Rakip owing to suspension but the team will see the return of the Spanish play-maker Saul Crespo, who will be joining the likes of Costa Rican Felicio Brown, Serbian Aleksandar Pantic and Jordanian Hijazi Maher. The East Bengal attack will also be looking at the form of Nandhakumar Sekar, Naorem Mahesh Singh and Souvik Chakrabarti to find the right support.