A rampant Mohun Bagan would look to consolidating its position atop the I-League leaderboard when it visits Goan football club Salgaocar at the Tilak Maidan here on Saturday.
Bagan has been unbeaten in the season so far and is a point clear of second-placed East Bengal, who is on 17 points. Salgaocar is eighth in the nine-team table with just five points and it would hope for a turnaround in its backyard against the Kolkata giant.
The defending champion comes into the encounter on the back of a 5-2 thrashing of Maldivian side Maziya in an AFC Cup tie in Guwahati on Wednesday. Forwards Jeje Lalpekhlua and Cornell Glen scored a brace each while Sony Norde was the one who netted the opener.
In its last I-League game, Mohun Bagan edged past Sporting Clube De Goa courtesy of a strike from captain Katsumi Yusa who earned it three very crucial points. Bagan has already beaten title rivals Bengaluru FC in the league and would be oozing with confidence as it takes on the host.
Salgaocar, on the other hand, has won just one of its last five matches. It has drawn two and lost the other two contests. In its last game, Salgaocar suffered a 1-2 defeat to East Bengal but prior to that it had beaten newcomer DSK Shivajians 3-2.
Though Santosh Kashyap’s men have been able to get on the scoresheet frequently through the likes of Darryl Duffy, the defence has been a major worry. The Salgaocar tactician would hope his men can keep the likes of Norde and Glen away when they lock horns in the Goan coastal city.
Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen has been able to pull the trigger when needed this season. He has introduced players at the right time and relied on his most trusted footballers to deliver the goods and they have done so with aplomb.
However, the match is going to be played in front of a strong contingent of Salgaocar fans here. Egged on by the vociferous supporters, Salgaocar might just be able to produce its A-game.
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