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Seven teams remain in contention for a couple of semi-final berths in the 35th Federation Cup but only 13-time record winners Mohun Bagan and tournament debutants Bengaluru are masters of their own destiny.
Group B
Sporting Clube vs Rangdajied United (17:00)
A win for either side would keep their hopes alive of reaching the semis while a draw would eliminate them both. Sporting Clube bounced back from their opening game defeat to Bengaluru with a narrow victory over East Bengal. To progress, the Goan club must register maximum points in this clash and hope that Bengaluru fails to beat East Bengal later on. The equation is slightly more complicated for unbeaten Rangdajied as they must win this game and pray for an East Bengal win. The Shillong club will have to win by a three-goal margin to ensure that they go through even if Bengaluru avoid defeat against East Bengal. Sporting Clube comfortably won the I-League meeting 3-0 but this promises to be a close contest with a semi-final spot still up for grabs.
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Key Battle: Boima Karpeh vs Lamine Tamba
Karpeh didn’t score against East Bengal but was a big physical presence throughout and he will be aiming to have an equally good impact in this fixture also. Tamba has been immense for Rangdajied in central defence alongside Gouramangi Singh but the Senegalese faces another tough test against Karpeh.
East Bengal vs Bengaluru FC (19:30)
If the early kickoff doesn’t finish in a draw, East Bengal will only be playing for pride but they could still stop I-League title rivals Bengaluru from entering the semis. Irrespective of the Sporting Clube – Rangdajied result, a win would take Bengaluru to the last four but Ashley Westwood’s have lost home and away to East Bengal in the I-League. On both occasions the Kolkata club won 2-0 and that scoreline could still take the defending champions to the semis if Sporting Clube and Rangdajied do them a favour by playing out a stalemate. Armando Colaco’s side would have to win by a two-goal margin to qualify on goal difference but unlike Bengaluru their fate is not in their hands anymore. With matches not kicking off simultaneously, Bengaluru will have the advantage of knowing exactly what result they need to win the group and progress to the semis in their debut appearance.
Key Battle: Edeh Chidi/James Moga – John Johnson/Curtis Osano
The strike pairing of Chidi and Moga has been a big flop so far but the duo combined brilliantly in both the fixtures against Bengaluru in the I-League. Bengaluru’s central defensive partnership of Johnson and Osano has been solid and they must win the battle against East Bengal’s strikeforce if the JSW-owned club want to reach the semis.
Group C
Shillong Lajong vs Mumbai FC (16:35; LIVE on Ten Action)
Of the three teams that can win this group, Shillong Lajong has the least chance. Thangboi Singto’s side not only have to beat Mumbai by a big margin but also hope that Salgaocar win against Mohun Bagan handsomely. This is because the only way Lajong can progress is via goal difference and they are currently second among the three (Mohun Bagan: +7; Salgaocar: -3; Shillong Lajong: -2). So clearly the Shillong club need a miracle and interestingly Mumbai have lost by more than one goal only once in the I-League. Lajong did win 3-2 in Pune when the teams met in the I-League back in October but this time the 2009 runners-up will be under pressure to get a result as anything less than a win would see them get eliminated even before the second game of the group kicks off.
Key Battle: Cornell Glen – Mumbai defence
Glen profited from Salgaocar’s poor defending in the opening game but was often crowded out by the Mohun Bagan backline and thus didn’t have much of an impact. Mumbai’s defence must do a similar job or else Glen could inspire Lajong to the big win that they desperately need.
Salgaocar vs Mohun Bagan (19:00; LIVE on Ten Action)
Like Bengaluru, Mohun Bagan will be well aware of what result they require to reach the last four for the first time since 2010. If Lajong win against Mumbai, the Mariners could be through even with a defeat as long as their goal difference remains better than Lajong and Salgaocar. But the equation becomes trickier if Mumbai avoid defeat early on because then any win for Salgaocar will see them win the group ahead of Mohun Bagan via the head-to-head criteria. Therefore, ideally the green-and-maroon brigade would hope for a Lajong victory while Salgaocar would surely be rooting for Mumbai so that they at least have a fighting chance of progressing. But the simple fact is that Karim Bencherifa’s side will set up a semi-final showdown with Churchill Brothers if they beat Salgaocar for the second-time this season having already won the I-League meeting 2-1 in October.
Key Battle: Rocus Lamare – Katsumi Yusa
Lamare isn’t really a defensive midfielder but if he gets his passing right and dictates proceedings from the middle of the park, Mohun Bagan will struggle to get Yusa into the game. The Japanese has been the Kolkata club’s most influential player so stopping him will give Salgaocar a great chance of winning this contest.
