Top five favourite clubs to win the Durand Cup 2021

The oldest football tournament in Asia is set to return on Sunday.

The Durand Cup 2021 will begin from 5th September 2021 and will run until October 3, 2021. The 130th edition of the tournament will take place in Kolkata under strict safety protocols due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Participating teams involve clubs from the Indian Super League, the I-League, the Second Division League and the Indian Armed Forces.

The competition is expected to be intense and could serve as a teaser for what is to come later. The domestic league season will begin in two months' time and the teams have been busy preparing for it. Several participating clubs will look at the Durand Cup as a medium to test the depth of their squad. Interestingly, both ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal have given the tournament a miss.

There is hardly any room for error and the competition will likely be fierce. The fans are eagerly waiting to see teams from across different divisions face each other for the ultimate honour. Keeping the preparations of the teams in mind, here are the top five teams who are favourites to win the Durand Cup.

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Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC may have been poor in the previous ISL season, finishing outside of the playoffs spot for the first time. However, the club have undergone changes in order to improve their fortunes. Marco Pezzaiuoli has taken the manager’s position and several new faces have come into the squad. The Blues ended their AFC Cup 2021 on a strong note by thumping Maziya S&RC 6-2 in their final group stage game.

The gaffer is likely to test his youngsters in the tournament with all foreigners in the BFC squad sent home for a break. However, even amongst domestic individuals, with some first-team members expected to be part of it, Bengaluru FC will be among the title favourites. The former ISL champions are in the exciting Group C, which includes Kerala Blasters, Indian Navy and Delhi FC.

Gokulam Kerala

The defending champions of the Durand Cup will mount a strong challenge to retain the title. I-League clubs often have the ammunition to surprise ISL teams and cause an upset. The Malabarians are also the reigning I-League champions and they come into the Durand Cup 2021 as strong favourites. 

GKFC are in Group D alongside Hyderabad FC, Assam Rifles and Army Red. They should finish in the top two and head into the knockout rounds. The Malabarians won all of their games in the title-winning 2019 edition and will look to carry on from where they left off. 

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Mohammedan SC

Mohammedan SC are another of the teams, who are looking strong ahead of the tournament. The I-League outfit could definitely cause major upsets and will be the underdogs. The Kolkata-based club are most likely to field their full-strength squad, which is usually the case with teams from the I-League.

Their squad has many new faces such as Rakesh Pradhan, Milan Singh, Wayne Vaz, Stefan Ilic and more. Furthermore, coach Andrey Chernyshov may use the tournament as a way to give the youngsters more exposure against tough oppositions. They are in Group A alongside Bengaluru United, CRPF and Indian Air Force. The teams in this group are evenly matched but considering their qualities, the Black Panthers should advance into the playoffs. From there it depends on, who has a better day.

Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters FC are strong favourites to go all the way in the upcoming Durand Cup. The Yellow Army have made several changes to their team after a disappointing season last year. Ivan Vukomanovic is in charge of the side, which has new faces like Enes Sipovic, Adrian Luna, Harmanjot Khabra and more.

The ISL outfit has announced a full-fledged first team, who will participate in the Durand Cup. It will also be interesting to see if youngsters like Ayush Adhikari, Givson Singh, and Jeakson Singh get gametime. The gaffer is aiming to start his career with KBFC on a strong note and lifting the trophy is clearly on the agenda.

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FC Goa

FC Goa are definitely one of the strong favourites to win the Durand Cup 2021. The Gaurs last featured in the AFC Champions League and gave a great account of themselves. The ISL outfit came away with three points after encountering teams like Persepolis, Al Wahda and Al Rayyan. Juan Ferrando will hope the new members of his squad get enough game-time to stake their claim in the playing XI and there is no better competition than the Durand Cup to prove their worth.

The Gaurs have some of the country's best young talents at their disposal and the likes of Saviour Gama, Princeton Rebello, and Devendra Murgaonkar would get valuable game-time in the Durand Cup. Coach Juan Ferrando have also included key players like Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, Ivan Gonzalez, Edu Bedia, Glan Martins, Brandon Fernandes, Alberto Noguera, Jorge Ortiz in the squad. FC Goa is perhaps one of the strongest teams competing at the Durand Cup 2021.

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