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Mohun Bagan go looking for their second win in three matches, as they play host to Churchill Brothers at the Barasat Stadium in Kolkata. Having just won the Kolkata derby the Mariners would be full of confidence to get another set of 3 points and move up the table.
Churchill on the other, hand would want to snatch some points off Bagan and snatch a few vital points while on the road. Here, we take a look at how the two sides could line up.
Mohun Bagan
Mohun Bagan have looked impressive this season, especially in the Kolkata Derby where all their players performed their best and earned plaudits from everyone. The way Mohun Bagan’s midfield kept the likes of Katsumi Yusa, Al Amna and Willis Plaza quiet is worthy of some real praise.
The two centre-backs for the Green and Maroons, Kingsley and Kinshuk seemed to have formed a formidable partnership and look solid after their lacklustre performance against Minerva Punjab FC .
Bagan also have had their fair share of youngsters in the side with the likes of Raynier Fernandes, Shilton D Silva, and Chesterpaul Lyngdoh all showing their impressive sides during the initial stages of the I-League.
Even though Sony Norde has looked lively and already opened his scoring account for the season, Dipanda Dicka and Kromah are yet to find their scoring boots. Both Dicka and Kromah looked poor against East Bengal and Minerva, and need to pull up their socks if they are to remain in the gaffers good books.
Mohun Bagan Probable Starting XI (4-4-1-1): Shilton, Bagui, Kingsley, Kromah, Ricky, Chesterpaul, Raynier, Shilton D Silva, Sony Norde, Kromah, Dicka.
Churchill Brothers
Churchill on the other hand, have looked like a completely disjointed side. They were really poor against Lajong and haven't been good enough in front of goal. The central defensive partnership for Churchill was really poor against Lajong.
Their Ukrainian coach Mykola Shevchenko has stated that he is very well aware of the status of Mohun Bagan, and that of the reputation of that the Kolkata clubs possess.
Shevchenko has had a full week's time to prepare for the Bagan game and he will surely be hoping to pick up some crucial points.
Churchill will rely heavily on their two-star Indian players Uttam Rai and Israil Gurung who are two of the most experienced players in the Churchill set up this season. Churchill will also want their foreign striker Obinna to score a few goals for them.
Churchill Brothers Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): James, Monday, Suraj, Precious, Nongkhlaw, Govindswamy, Israil Gurung, Gonsalves, Omoduemuke, Uttam Rai, Obinna
Author's Prediction
Mohun Bagan 1-0 Churchill Brother's
We think that Mohun Bagan will get past this game with a slender one-goal margin. However, don't be surprised if this game actually ends in a stalemate as history has often shown us that the winning team from a derby game often loses steam in the next game.
