Kolkata & Kalyani: The match pits the league’s best attack against it’s best defense. Mohammedan SC have scored 23 goals this campaign while East Bengal have allowed only three.
East Bengal will likely to have their best defensive pair in the centre back position with the return of Arnab Mondal and Carlyle Mitchell. On the up front, Willis Plaza will be accompanied by Joby Justin.
“It will be an enticing affair and the team which can handle the pressure better will be able to prevail. East Bengal are a very good side and they have shown how easily they can dominate teams. But we have shown that we are a team not to be taken lightly. We will go hard at them enforcing our own style of attacking flare,” the Mohammedan Sporting gaffer Biswajit Bhattacharya said.
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On the team news front, Biswajit Bhattacharya will have a full squad at his disposal with skipper Rana Gharami returning from a one-match suspension that caused him to miss the clash against Railway FC.
For the record, Mohammedan SC last defeated East Bengal in CFL on 10 August, 2014, since then East Bengal haven’t lost a single match in CFL and unbeaten in 34 straight matches.
Kingfisher East Bengal is all set to put their feet on their marching pedals as Khalid Jamil’s men is all set make a convincing leap on their chase to win the 8th consecutive Calcutta Football League title when they will take on dangerous Mohammedan Sporting.
On the flip side, Mohammedan Sporting Club look to dent a blow in East Bengal’s ambitions to secure eighth consecutive League title when they will lock horns on Saturday.
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It was like a replay of the CFL match last season when Mohammedan SC and East Bengal battled it out for top honors in Kolkata football. However, the only difference this time around is that Mohammedan SC have fallen far behind in the championship race and pride will be the only thing at stake in Kalyani Stadium.
Nonetheless, Mohammedan SC Coach Biswajit Bhattacharya insists that his players will approach the match with the same intensity and hopes of resurrecting their campaign.
“We have to play with the same intensity. We are professionals. When we go on the pitch, we must respect the jersey, the fans and the honor of club. Our fate may have been sealed but we have to go out and do our best to win because that’s what we deserve,” Coach Bhattacharya said on the eve of the clash.
Currently on third position with 13 points from 7 matches, the Black Panthers coming into the tie with an emphatic 6-0 win over Railway FC in their last match and will be full of confidence at the prospect of upsetting East Bengal, who are on second with 18 points.
On the flip side East Bengal coach Khalid Jamil said, “They have good players. Dicka is in good form. They have a good attacking force, the defence is good as well. It will be a difficult game.”
East Bengal’s star midfielder Mahmoud Al Amna though had a different training session as the East Bengal gaffer used Joby Justin as a dummy of Tirthankar Sarkar during the training session.