Vasco(Goa): Defending champions and table-toppers Mohun Bagan will be the outright favourites when they take on laggards Salgaocar FC in an I-League match here tomorrow.
Unbeaten so far, Bagan have 18 points after eight matches (5 wins and 3 draws). Salgaocar, on the other hand, are second from bottom with one win, two draws and five losses.Given the form that Bagan have displayed so far, it would be a tough task for Salgaocar to upstage the Kolkata giants despite playing them on home turf.
Bagan will go into tomorrow’s match after a resounding 5-2 victory over Maldivian side Maziya in an AFC Cup tie in Guwahati .Forwards Jeje Lalpekhlua and Trinidadian marksman Cornell Glen had scored twice each in that game and would be expected to strike tomorrow as well.
Due to bad health Sanjoy Sen couldn’t be able to travel with the team. He joins the team on Friday.
Coach Sanjoy Sen sounds very cautious before the match. “Every match is knockout to us. Every match is like final. We have to win every match. If we lose points at this position we will lag behind.” The Green and Maroon gaffer said.
Bagan, however, will be missing their reliable defender Luciano Sobrosa and defensive midfielder Pronay Halder due to suspension, but Coach Sanjoy Sen is not worried as he has youngsters to fill in the gaps.
“So far our boys have maintained consistency to remain unbeaten and I want them to remain focussed till the end in order to achieve our goal to win the title,” Sen said.
“Salgaocar is a good side although we have won against them 4-2 at home. They are difficult team to beat at home and have a balance side. We have to be cautious as they will come hard on us to avenge their away loss,” he added.
Sony Norde has been instrumental in Mohun Bagan’s success in recent past. The Haitian winger said” Daryl Duffy is very dangerous in the box. Our defence have to be very cautious.”
“Glen has answered his critics” he further added.
Salgaocar, in contrast, are desperate for a victory. In their previous match, Salgaocar lost 1-2 to East Bengal.
The only thing from which Salgaocar can take some solace is that Dayyle Duffy tops the goal-scorers’ list with eight strikes to his credit so far.
Duffy will be the key to Salgaocar’s success and coach Santosh Kashyap will be looking up to him to inspire the team to win tomorrow.
“I am looking for a positive result tomorrow which will be a morale booster for us,” said Kashyap.
Salgaocar have conceded 15 goals so far, most by any team, which has proved to be the biggest concern for the side.
Probable XI- Debjit, Prabir das, Raju gaikwad, Kingshuk debnath, Dhanachandra Singh, Katsumi Yusa, Lenny Rodrigues, Brendan Fernandes (U-22)/ Souvik Chakraborty, Sony Norde, Cornell Glen, Jeje