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Mohun Bagan have an uphill task ahead of themselves this Saturday when they are going to face the indomitably spirited Chennai City in Yuva Bharati Stadium, who will return to complete their Kolkata Quest that started with beating East Bengal at their home ground three weeks ago.
The league leaders are still unbeaten in the tournament this year. They have five wins and the only time the couldn't get the full three points was when Churchill Brothers held them to a draw a month ago. From there, the performance graph has only gone upward as they have now opened a 6-point lead at the top of the table.
The recent surge of the Chennai team can mostly be attributed to the perfect team bonding of the foreigner and Indian players. The Spanish trio of Sandro Rodriquez Felipe, Nestor Gordillo and Pedro Manzi contributes upfront, while the mostly Indian defence continues to support the team from the back.
Inspired by an experienced Akbar Nawas from the touchlines, the success of team bonding became evident right from the start of the season.
Mohun Bagan started the league as the favourites as they got their Haitian midfielder Sony Norde back from injury. The Mariners even completed a successful Calcutta Football League campaign, clinching the title after eight long years under the stewardship of Sankalal Chakraborty.
With good attacking options in Aser Dipanda Dicka and Henry Kisekka, the fan expectations were high but poor execution in the defensive lines has been costing the team points. A poor performance against Churchill Brothers saw them lose 0-3 and concede the second spot on the table to the Goan team. Bagan are now fourth on the table with eight points in five matches.
This match could be a turning point for Bagan and they will have to up the ante against Chennai. Kingsley Obumneme, along with Lalchhawnkima, supported by Yuta Kinowaki can be a good option for stopping the Spanish attack.
Kisekka will probably be available to play after recovering from the injury he suffered during practice for playing without shinguards. It is not clear yet if Norde will begin from the start or not. He was marked out in Bagan's previous game but he can always put enough pressure on the opposition with just his presence on the pitch.
Winning this match can be a major confidence boost for the Mariners, before the long-awaited derby against their arch-rivals East Bengal on December 16. While branding the Chennai side as the favourites in the match, Sankarlal claimed that his side is capable of turning the tide with a good performance.
On the other hand, Akbar Nawas accepted that as the league toppers, they will be under pressure to keep up the momentum. But Chennai will want to win all their matches if they want to seize the title and three points are what they target from the match against Bagan.
The major battles of the match will take place in the midfield and the wings. The winners of this game will emerge as the contenders for the I-league title this year.
When and where to watch:
The Live Streaming of the match is available on Hotstar. The TV Telecast is on Star Sports 3. The kick off is at 5 pm IST on Saturday, December 1.
