Mohun Bagan eyes historic treble against Mumbai City FC
KOLKATA: Mohun Bagan will look to cap off its fairytale season with a historic treble as it faces Mumbai City FC in the ISL summit clash at Salt Lake Stadium, with 62,000 partisan fans expected to cheer their guts out and paint the stands in green and maroon, creating an electrifying atmosphere here on Saturday.
The season began with the Mariners winning the Durand Cup for the first time after 23 years. Having slipped to fifth in the table at midway stage, Antonio Habas took over from Juan Ferrando and led it to its maiden League Winners Shield.
Two weeks after it defeated Mumbai City FC 2-1 to win its maiden Shield, the two teams will return to the same venue of Salt Lake Stadium with an aim to complete a rare double in the ISL and a hat-trick of titles in one season.
Mumbai City FC has done it before in 2020-21 and the stage will be set for Mohun Bagan to follow suit.
“Statistics have no relevance. We have to continue playing well and complete the circle,” the 66-year-old Spanish tactician said in the pre-match media interaction.
Three years ago, Mohun Bagan had squandered a 1-0 lead to suffer a 1-2 defeat against the same team at the ISL final held in Margao, which was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But revenge is not on
Habas’ minds.
The target however is to finish the game in “45 minutes”, said Habas making it clear that he will go all-out in attack with Anirudh Thapa, Jason Cummings, Dimitri Petratos and Manvir Singh.
Asked about this strategy, he said: “To finish it in 45 minutes.”
“Obviously we don’t want to go to extra team. It’s hot out there so better to finish it in 90 minutes.”
Mohun Bagan’s attack will be boosted by a fit-again India midfielder Sahal Abdul Samad who came off the bench to strike the winning goal against Odisha FC in the return leg ISL semi-final.
While Sahal will be fit, Armando Sadiku will miss the match. Mumbai City on the other hand will bank on Vikram Pratap Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte, while its Dutch midfielder Yoell van Nieff will miss out because of suspension.
“For last four years, ISL battle is all about Mumbai and Mohun Bagan who are fighting for this Shield and Trophy. The recipe for our success has been to stay together and play together. When the season began, we were a group, now we have become a family and we have to play like one.” Mohun Bagan has frequently struggled to maintain its lead and has conceded goals due to defensive lapses, a vulnerability that Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky will surely be mindful of and seized the momentum.
“Players want to play in front of packed stadium, I think it will be an extra motivation to do well,” he said.
He further said losing the Shield was difficult. “We knew what was at stake, it’s always hard. We tried to regroup. A couple of training sessions the spirit was little down, but now we are good to continue.”