On Thursday Mohun Bagan take on Bengaluru FC at Sree Kanteerava Stadium to keep alive their title hopes. With a narrow win against Punjab, Mohun Bagan still aim to take the battle on final day of the League. There will be no second equation other than the 2 straight wins. Mohun Bagan currently on 42 points from 20 matches 5 points behind Mumbai City FC who are on 47 points from 21 matches. The team looks determined and ready to land on the tech capital for full three points.
Sahal Abdul Samad will not be the part of this match because of his injury and Dipak Tangri received his 9th yellow card of the season against Punjab and will not be the part of the squad against Bengaluru. With uncertainty over Habas’s availability because of illness, it is to be understood that Manuel Cascallana will be in charge at the dugout. The team have complicated the situation because of a shock defeat against Chennaiyin at Salt Lake and now it’s upto them to rectify their mistake and fight for the crest. Bengaluru on the other hand face defeat in their final away game against East Bengal at Kolkata and with 22 points in 21 matches. And now after Chennaiyin’s win against North East the chances of qualification is officially over before the start of their final game. So the approach would be different from both the camps and Mohun Bagan will show more hunger for win rather than Bengaluru. Bengaluru could rest some of their star player and give chances to their brilliant young stars who could be the future prospect of the team.
Mohun Bagan could possibly continue with the same formation of 4-4-2 what they have played in Delhi and only include Anirudh Thapa in place of suspended Dipak Tangri. In their last match they have successfully break through the Punjab defense on several occasions, but the finishing touches were not upto the mark. That should be their main focus which is very much lagging since the International break.
After their inception in 2013 Bengaluru is one of the successful clubs in Indian Football and both Bengaluru and Mohun Bagan maintained a fierce contest and hefty rivalry among themselves. Till now both the team met each other for 23 times where Mohun Bagan has the upper hand by winning 11 of them. Bengaluru only manage 5 wins and 7 matches ended as draw. The biggest margin of defeat happened back in 2016 when Mohun Bagan thrashed Bengaluru FC by 5-0 when BFC secure the I-League title before the final day. They have met only once this season and Mohun Bagan defeated BFC by a solitary goal at Salt Lake in the first leg of Indian Super League.
All the Mariners are still relishing that golden memory of 31st May 2015 when they held on to a 1-1 draw at Bengaluru to lift their first ever I-League title. But this time at Sree Kanteerava under completely different circumstances, nothing but a full three points is the target for the green and maroon brigade. There’s no looking back for Mohun Bagan now, with or without Habas they have to win the remaining matches and it’s depends completely on their players. After so many criticisms about their healthy pay cheque, it is now time for them to prove their worth and deliver on the battlefield. The match will start on 7:30 PM at Sree Kanteerava and a significant number of Mariners will be there on the gallery to cheer for the team.
Line-up Prediction:
Kick off Time: 7:30PM(IST)
Live telecast/streaming: JioCinema, Sports18 3, DD Bangla, OneFootball(International)
Venue: Sri Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, Bengaluru.
