Mohun Bagan Super Giant will battle against Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) on Saturday.
The Mariners, who won the ISL Cup last season after beating Bengaluru FC on penalties, will look to defend their title against the Islanders.
It has been an almost perfect season for Mohun Bagan. After winning the Durand Cup and the ISL Shield, it stands at the cusp of winning the domestic treble if it beats Mumbai City in the cup final.
Mohun Bagan was a dominant force in the league stages. It bagged the Shield and clinched 15 out of its 22 matches in the league stages (most out of any team).
It scored 44 goals in the league phase, the highest among all teams.
The Mariners started the ISL 2023-24 league stage with seven successive victories. However, post the seven-match winning streak, the Mariners suffered a slump, losing three matches on the trot against Mumbai City FC, FC Goa and the Kerala Blasters, respectively.
The series of losses in the ISL and an exit from the AFC Cup led to then-head coach Juan Ferrando being sacked on January 3, with the club appointing Antonio Lopez Habas as his replacement.
Under Habas, Mohun Bagan ascended again, remaining undefeated for eight matches. In those eight matches, the Mariners won six, including a 3-1 derby victory against arch-rival East Bengal.
With the Shield race going down to the wire, Mohun Bagan crossed the final hurdle, beating Mumbai City 2-1 in the deciding clash to win its maiden title.
Semifinal battle with Odisha
The Mariners were paired with Odisha FC in the two-legged semifinal fixture.
In the first leg, the Juggernauts edged a 2-1 win against Mohun Bagan at the Kalinga Stadium, but the Mariners managed to win 2-0 in the return fixture to win 3-2 on aggregate and qualify for their second successive final.
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