Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

East Bengal take on laggards Mumbai FC

- Press Trust of India

Their title-hopes already up in smoke, Kolkata’s East Bengal take on I-league laggards Mumbai FC with the chance of finishing third if they win or even draw the last game at the Cooperage ground.

A string of four straight defeats has dented the glamour outfit’s title hopes, but the convincing 3-1 win at home against Minerva Punjab FC in their last game has rekindled East Bengal’s hopes of finishing in the top three.

East Bengal’s task of winning the game won’t be easy as MFC, although winless since two victories at the beginning of the league, have been unbeaten at home this season after losing 0-1 to table toppers Aizawl FC on January 22.

Subsequent­ly, MFC held all rivals to draws at home.

Championsh­ip leader Sebastian Vettel topped the times for Ferrari ahead of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen in Friday’s second free practice for this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix. The four-time champion German and the Finn, who was fastest in the morning, made a bold statement of intent in a session that proved they are ready to end Mercedes’ three-year domination.

Vettel clocked one minute and 34.120 seconds to lead the way by two-tenths of a second with Finn Valtteri Bottas third ahead of his struggling Mercedes team-mate Briton Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton, who is second in the title race seven points adrift of Vettel, has won twice at the Sochi Autodrom where Mercedes have led every lap and won every race since the event began in 2014.

Dutch teenager Max Verstappen was fifth despite stopping on ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

VANDOORNE FACES GRID PENALTY

Mclaren’s poor start to the season hit another low after Stoffel Vandoorne suffered more engine problems and is set to be handed a grid penalty.

Mclaren endured a series of engine reliabilit­y setbacks at the Bahrain Grand Prix last time out and both Vandoorne and twotime former world champion Fernando Alonso, were given replacemen­t parts for this weekend in Sochi

doorne’s car resulted in his Mclaren being fitted with another new unit, taking him beyond the limit for engine parts He is expected to be penalised by

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