Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Bengaluru FC: Blues square up against Mariners with Durand Cup final in sight

The Blues, who edged 1-0 winners past Kerala Blasters in their quarterfinal, will be up against the Mariners, who progressed on penalties after a 3-3 result against Punjab FC.

Bengaluru will rely on the form of Jorge Pereyra Diaz, who has four goals and one assist in four appearances. | Photo Credit: Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC Head Coach Gerard Zaragoza has called for focus as his side prepares for a Durand Cup semifinal against defending champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Tuesday.

FOLLOW THE MATCH LIVE HERE: Mohun Bagan SG vs Bengaluru FC LIVE SCORE, Durand Cup 2024 semifinal real-time updates

The Blues, who edged 1-0 winners past Kerala Blasters in their quarterfinal, will be up against the Mariners, who progressed on penalties after a 3-3 result against Punjab FC.

“Mohun Bagan Super Giant are a team that has really talented players across the pitch, and we are sure that this will be a fixture that demands us to be focused. I was happy with the way we defended together as a unit and stayed compact against the Blasters. I felt we controlled that game well for most parts of the 90 minutes, and it’s something that we will need to try to replicate tomorrow,” said Zaragoza, speaking on the eve of the fixture.

Bengaluru will rely on the form of Jorge Pereyra Diaz, who has four goals and one assist in four appearances, and skipper Sunil Chhetri, who came off the bench once again to assist the Argentine attacker’s winner against Blasters.

Interestingly, the Blues have had seven different goalscorers in the tournament, including summer signings Edgar Mendez, Rahul Bheke and Alberto Noguera, and five of Bengaluru’s goals have come from set-pieces.

“As a team, we’re looking to improve with each game and I’m glad with the progress we’ve made so far. We are expecting a good challenge against Mohun Bagan, who will also have the support of their fans. It is going to be an exciting fixture and our aim will be to put on a performance that our supporters can be proud of,” Zaragoza added.

Bagan, which defeated East Bengal in last year’s final, came through the group stages with two wins and a draw (following the calling off of its clash against East Bengal FC).

Suhail Bhat, Jason Cummings and Manvir Singh were on target in their quarterfinal against Punjab FC, which ended in a 6-5 win on penalties.