Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 3 : Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 will witness its first Kolkata Derby of the season when Mohun Bagan Super Giant square off against East Bengal FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.
In a fixture with profound historical significance and a rivalry that has been fostered for over a century, the Red & Gold Brigade will be heading into this game as equal favourites to clinch the three points after their resounding success in the Kalinga Super Cup held in Odisha.
After a few disappointing campaigns, the team turned a new chapter with the appointment of former Bengaluru FC head coach Carles Cuadrat as their tactician. First, they made it to the final of the Durand Cup, got into the playoff spots halfway into the ISL campaign, and have now finally won silverware that gives them a chance to compete in Asia next year.
The Mariners, on the other hand, came into the season with one of the strongest squads at their disposal after the acquisition of multiple marquee players in the summer. However, injury issues coupled with other complications saw them struggle in December, in conjunction with the departure of Juan Ferrando and the arrival of a familiar face in Antonio Lopez Habas back to the club.
Habas will be on the touchline for the first time in this ISL season and he could not have come across a better opportunity than the Kolkata Derby to create an impact. Regardless of the concerns in the opening half, the Mariners have it in them to bounce back and finish this season on a high. They will be hoping to avenge the loss in the Kolkata Derby during the Super Cup.
The Mariners had won the ISL trophy last year and they responded strongly to that in a bid to go one step further and potentially bag the shield this year. However, despite all his strengths, Ferrando was in some ways falling short of setting them up in a way that he could maximise the strengths of every star player in his roster. Habas, on the other hand, has been a proven customer in the ISL.
As mentioned above, East Bengal FC does not have an impressive record in the ISL against their arch-rivals. However, the tables have turned this year, which started with them bagging their first Kolkata Derby win in over four years when they triumphed over the Mariners in the Durand Cup in August.
They repeated that feat with another heroic effort in the Super Cup, and coach Cuadrat is desperately eyeing a third such victory in the biggest stage of them all on Saturday. Their title-winning effort last month aside, the Red & Gold Brigade enters this match on the back of three consecutive goalless draws in the ISL.
"My intention in football always is to prepare my team in a way that it can fight the opponents. Yes, the opponent is important, but for me, first, I look at my team and work on them rather than looking at the opposition," Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Antonio Lopez Habas said as quoted by ISL.
"After a big win, you can lose concentration and we are working on that. However, I know I don't have to ask for motivation from my players because they are totally focused and very motivated to play another big game against our opponent in the city," East Bengal FC head coach Carles Cuadrat said in the pre-match press conference.
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