After the international break, Hero I-League is slated to resume tomorrow as Aizawl FC takes on the reigning champion Mohun Bagan in the return leg tomorrow at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl.
In their last encounter in Kolkata, Mohun Bagan registered a 3-1 win against the debutant Aizawl FC. Incidentally, it was the first ever I-League match played by Aizawl FC. Since then, Mohun Bagan has garnered 25 points from 11 games while Aizawl FC has amassed 9.
A win for Mohun Bagan AC tomorrow would widen the gap between itself and second-placed Bengaluru FC which is 3 points behind it. Meanwhile, a defeat for Aizawl would put it in even more danger of relegation. Neither of the sides will be willing to let the three points slip through their fingers tomorrow.
At the pre-match press conference held at Aizawl, Aizawl FC coach Jahar Das spoke of his expectation for tomorrow's match, "We are well-prepared for tomorrow's match. We are going to do something to win three points." Fully confident of the abilities of his boys, he added, "The biggest upset of I-League is going to happen tomorrow."
Mohun Bagan AC will be facing Aizawl FC without some of their key players like Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sony Norde, Pronay Halder, Balwant Singh and Pritam Kotal. Commenting on this, Jahar Das opined, "Though they will be playing in the absence of many of their star players, Mohun Bagan are always a team to beat. We will have to work hard on the pitch to earn three points."
The Aizawl side has also been set back, with Emmanuel Chigoze and Lalchullova not playing in the match tomorrow. The Mizoram-based club's player Lalchhawnkima also spoke of his excitement for the coming match, "I expect us to win. Being at the bottom of the table, we have pressure on us to win. I hope we can use the pressure to our advantage and win tomorrow."
Mohun Bagan assistant coach Shankarlal Chakraborty also mentioned the Mariners' desire to win tomorrow, "We have to win the match tomorrow as only 5 matches to be played from now." He also anticipated, "Aizawl FC have been playing brilliantly although they could not get the right result on every occasion. We're expecting a tough fight tomorrow."
Regarding the absence of some of his players, he said, "Mohun Bagan always play as a team. We're completely aware of the fact who are not going to play tomorrow and other are gearing up to give a shot in their absence. It'll be the perfect stage for them."
Mohun Bagan AC player Subhash Singh also spoke of his expectations to win the match tomorrow, "We will have to fight and give everything to win this match."
Both sides, no doubt, will put on a good show of their skills tomorrow.
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