Kalinga Super Cup 2024: Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal FC: Preview, Predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast details

The derby will decide the future of both the teams as to who will progress to the next round.

The stakes are high as the most awaited Kolkata derby is gearing up, where Indian football stalwarts Mohun Bagan Super Giant & East Bengal FC lock horns in the final Group A clash of the Kalinga Super Cup 2024.

The Mariners as well as the Red and Gold Brigade will look to secure a victory on 19th January to qualify as the group toppers. The fans are thrilled and excited as the first derby of the year takes shape.

The Stakes

Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s Super Cup journey has been a roller coaster ride. Even though the Mariners have secured two victories from their first two games, they have looked shaky in their gameplay. Not having their crucial first-team players they have quality foreigners like Hugo, Petratos, and even Cummings who can change the game single-handedly.

Moreover, the young Indian players with the likes of Raj Basfore, and Abhishek Suryavanshi, have performed well for the Green and Maroon army. Furthermore, their head coach Antonio Lopes Habas has joined the squad and his sessions and plans will help them wiz past their arch-rivals in the upcoming derby.

East Bengal FC

Although East Bengal FC struggled to perform well in the ISL, they have turned the dice in the Super Cup. They won both their encounters against Hyderabad and Sreenidi Deccan and they dominated proceedings in the games.

The forms of defender Hijazi Maher their recent acquisition as well as goal poacher Cleiton Silva will give a slender advantage to Red and Gold Brigade as they look to win the Kolkata derby to qualify for the next round. Currently, East Bengal FC is sitting at the top of the table in Group A with the same points as Mohun Bagan Super Giant but with the highest goals scored.

Injury & Team News

Mohun Bagan will miss seven crucial players who are representing their country in the ongoing AFC Asian Cup 2023. They will also miss the likes of Anwar Ali and Ashique Kuruniyan who are recovering from injuries. On the other hand, East Bengal FC has their full squad except for Naorem Mahesh and Lalchungnunga.   

Head-to-Head

Total Matches – 394

Mohun Bagan Super Giant wins – 128

East Bengal FC wins – 140

Draws – 126

Predicted Lineups

Mohun Bagan Super Giant

Arsh Shaikh (GK), Asish Rai, Hector Yuste, Brendan Hamill, Raj Basfore, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Glan Martins, Dimitri Petratos, Hugo Boumous, Kiyan Nassiri, Jason Cummings

East Bengal FC

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Nishu Kumar, Hijazi Maher, Mohammad Rakip, Jose Pardo, Gursimrat Gill, Borja Herrera, Souvik Chakraborti, Saul Crespo, Nandha Kumar Sekar, Cleiton Silva

Players to watch

Dimitri Petratos (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)

Dimitri Petratos’ return from injury has significantly strengthened Mohun Bagan, injecting a newfound dynamism into their offensive strategies. His proficiency in orchestrating set pieces and executing inventive passes aims to carve out extensive scoring opportunities, ultimately benefiting Jason Cummings.

Petratos is poised to exploit promising goal-scoring situations, thereby unsettling the opposition and steering his side to a victory over their arch-rivals.

Cleiton Silva (East Bengal)

The goal poacher as well as the free-kick specialist has been instrumental in East Bengal FC’s attack. The captain will surely try to score the crucial winning goal in the derby and take his team to the next round.

His aerial ability is also another trait that the men in Red and Gold will try to take advantage of. He will try to combine with Saul Crespo as well as Nanda in the upfront and will be a threat to the Mohun Bagan defenders.

Did you know?

• Mohun Bagan Super Giant has a better winning record this season.
• Nandhakumar Sekar is East Bengal FC’s biggest assister.
• In their last meeting, Mohun Bagan Super Giant won by 1 goal.

Telecast

The Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal FC kicks off at 7:30 PM IST, at the Kalinga Stadium in Odisha on January 19th, 2024. The Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal FC match can be streamed live on the Jio Cinema app and website.

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