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Mohun Bagan AC face Dempo SC in a round 15 clash of the I-League at the Saltlake Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Only two points separate the teams in the table and they played out a goalless draw in Goa in the first-leg fixture back in November.
Both sides only picked up a point in the last round but Dempo SC will be the happier of the two as they earned a goalless draw against United SC away from home while Mohun Bagan had to come from behind to draw 1-1 with Mumbai FC in Kalyani. The two clubs have eight league titles between them but are far away from winning it this time as Mohun Bagan are eighth while Dempo are third from bottom in the 13-team table.
Mohun Bagan have struggled to find consistency in Karim Bencherifa’s second spell in charge and managed to win back-to-back matches only once this season. Despite having one of the all-time best I-League strikers in Odafe Onyeka Okolie the Mariners share the second worst offensive record in the league with Dempo. Both clubs have managed only 11 goals in 13 games.
Odafe has netted just once in five matches and compatriot Christopher Chizoba, who bagged a brace on debut against United SC in round 13, failed to score against Mumbai FC. But Bencherifa would take heart from the fact that his side earned a point in the last game despite going behind and could end this matchday in the top six if they take all three points against Dempo.
“I am looking for consistency. Nobody has run away with the I-League yet. The league is still wide open and we have a good realistic chance to go into better positions,” Bencherifa was quoted saying.
Dempo also showed great character to keep a clean sheet against United SC despite playing without a foreigner and are in fact unbeaten outside Goa with one and four draws from five matches. The Goan club have kept clean sheets in their last two away matches in Kolkata but their youngsters will have their work cut out to a complete a hattrick on that front against Odafe and company.
With only two wins all season, the Dempo squad is short on confidence and perilously close to the drop zone so assistant coach Mauricio Afonso, who is in charge due to the absence of head coach Arthur Papas, would happily settle for a third straight draw in Kolkata.
Dempo lead the I-League head-to-head record with six wins, four draws and three defeats but history won’t count for much on Saturday as the two giants of Indian football need a victory to get out of the bottom half of the table.
