Indian Football League

SCEB vs ATKMB, Match Number 9

Preview

The biggest match in the history of Indian football is upon us as East Bengal is all set to host Mohun Bagan in their second match of the campaign. The Green and Maroon brigade has been absolutely fantastic against the red and gold brigade in the last few matches but as we all know, no one is really a favorite team in a derby! As two of the biggest teams in Indian football are set to clash at Goa, let’s dissect and see which team has a better chance to win the game.

The Mariners have already won their first match of the campaign beating Kerala by 4-2. Hugo Boumus scored a brace while Roy Krishna and Liston Colaco scored one each for the team. The only thing that should bother this side is the defense. Sandesh Jhingan, one of the best defenders in India if not the best, left the club in the summer after getting a chance to play in the Croatian league. Also, with the rule of four foreigners per match, coach Habas will be having a tough time picking his four. The Spaniard is a philosopher in the game. He always had a defense that no one can break and even though the defense looks a bit vulnerable right now, he can solve those issues. The midfield and the forward line looks rock solid. Lenny Rodriguez and Joni Kauko were in good touch and Liston was a gun in the wings. Hugo Boumous did exactly what he is known for and the team looked like a perfect team who can win the Championship. The Derby is a different ball game though. They got the edge but never count East Bengal out. They love it when their back hits the wall. That’s exactly when they pounce back.

The red and gold brigade didn’t start the campaign on a high note. They took the lead in the first match but Jamshedpur equalized and the match ended 1-1. There is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to East Bengal. The coach agreed to that as well. The biggest negative point for them is that the team hasn’t played a lot of games together and that’s why they need some time to gel with. The squad is much better than what they had last season. Sideback Hira Mondal impressed everyone in the last match and some similar things are expected from him in the big match. Antonio Perosevic had a very good game as well. The torch barriers will be a lot dependent on him in this season to replicate what Bright Enobakhare did last season. The midfield looks a bit shaky but with time the fans should be hopeful that it will get better.

SCEB and ATKMB Predicted Line-up

SCEB - Arindam Bhattacharya (GK) (C), Tomislav Mrcela, Franjo Prce, MD. Rafique, Hira Mondal, Sourav, Angousana, Hnamte, Bikash Jairu, Perosevic, Daniel Chima Chukwu

ATKMB - Amrinder Singh (GK), Joni Kauko, Carl McHugh, Hugo Boumous, Singh, Subhasish Bose, Liston Colaco, Pritam Kotal (C), Roy Krishna, Deepak Tangri, Lenny Rodrigues

Match Prediction

Like mentioned, no one is really a favorite team when it comes to the derby. Anyone can win it and that’s the beauty of it. Based on records and form, Mohun Bagan do have the edge but it will be interesting to see how East Bengal shapes up.

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