AFC Cup: In-form Mohun Bagan take on Maldivian heavyweights Maziya

Mohun Bagan won their last AFC Cup game by 4 goals

After a hard fought 1-0 victory over Bengaluru FC in the second ISL game, Mohun Bagan Super Giant will shift their focus to their AFC Cup fixture against Maldivian side Maziya S&RC come monday.

The Mariners will be keen to continue their rhythm in the AFC Cup after a resounding 4-0 win over Odisha FC in their last fixture. On that note, let us take a look at how things stand ahead of this continental fixture.

The Stakes

Mohun Bagan

The stakes are very high for the Mariners coming into this game. They have done everything in their power to build a team to taste continental success. They come into the game on the back of a 4-0 win over Odisha FC in the AFC Cup and a 1-0 win over Bengaluru FC in the ISL.

They will look to go out all guns blazing in this fixture and will do everything possible to get all three points. Juan Ferrando knows what is at stake for his team in this fixture and will therefore make plans accordingly.

Maziya S&RC

The Maldivian side come into the game as second favourites, but can turn things around in their favour whenever they want. They have been firing on all cylinders both in the AFC Cup and the Dhivehi Premier League.

The Green Boys come into the game after defeating Bangladeshi giants Bashundhara Kings where they pulled off a fine 3-1 victory. They have been in great form in their league as well and will want to replicate the same in the AFC Cup as well.

Head-to-head

Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Maziya S&RC have faced each other six times. The Mariners have won thrice, including a win last season while the Green Boys have won twice and the other game ended in a draw.

Team and Injury News

Mohun Bagan will miss out on the services of Ashique Kuruniyan. Maziya will miss their captain defender, first-choice goalkeeper and striker.

Predicted Lineups

Mohun Bagan

Vishal Kaith (GK), Anwar Ali, Hector Yuste, Brendan Hamil, Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Hugo Boumous, Subhasish Bose, Armando Sadiku, Dimitri Petratos

Maziya S&RC

Hussain Shareef (GK), Shifaz Hassan, Branimir Jocic, Sebastijan Antic, Khalil Gamal, Tomoki Wada, Obeng Regan, Ibrahim Aisham, Hassan Raif, Vojislav Balabanović, Hamza Mohamed.

Players to watch 

Dimitri Petratos

The Australian target man has been one of the best players for Mohun Bagan in the last two seasons. He put up exceptional performances for the Mariner in the league last season and helped them win their first ISL title.

He has picked up from where he left last season and has scored three goals in the last three games, including a brace against Odisha FC. Petratos is at the peak of his powers and can cause a lot of damage on his day.

Obeng Regan

The Ghanaian is one of Maziya S&RC’s most influential players on the pitch. He is also one of the best players to have played in the Dhivehi Premier League. The defensive midfielder is responsible for controlling the tempo of Maziya’s gameplay.

He holds the defensive unit together and also advances forward as and when needed. Obeng is very good with his ball distribution. He plays a major role in the way Maziya operates throughout the game. 

Did You Know?

• Mohun Bagan handed Maziya a 5-2 defeat last year.
• Mohun Bagan & Maziya are the top 2 ranked teams in Group D.

Telecast

The match between Mohun Bagan and Maziya S&RC will be played at the Salt lake Stadium in Kolkata, on October 2, 2023 (Monday) at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be telecasted on Sports18 channel and live streamed on Fancode and JioTV.