Durand Cup 2022 Final Preview: Mumbai City, Bengaluru FC clash for season's first title

Both teams are eyeing their first win in the tournament.

The summit clash of the Durand Cup 2022 is almost here. Two ISL giants, namely, Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC, will be facing each other in the final with an eye for silverware. Both teams played some scintillating football on their way to the final. The final is poised to be a great game, thanks to the presence of superstars like Sunil Chhetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sandesh Jhingan, Greg Stewart, etc. across both teams.

After the century-old tournament's revival last year, this year saw it grow in terms of competition, format, and stature significantly. Hence, both Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City will be desperate to win the Durand Cup 2022 before the onset of ISL.

The Stakes

Mumbai City FC

This is Mumbai City FC's first participation in the tournament. They have surely made their mark by advancing into the final straightaway. They would now be looking forward to adding another trophy to their trophy cabinet. Mumbai's journey in the tournament has been fascinating. They were in group B, regarded as the group of death, with ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal FC.

Mumbai City FC qualified for the knockouts in style by topping the group. Their knockout journey was also highly exciting as they defeated Chennaiyin FC 5-3 in the quarters and Mohammedan SC in the semis via a last-minute goal. Hence, they would look to continue the momentum and get the better of Bengaluru FC in the final.

Bengaluru FC

Bengaluru FC have now reached the final of all major domestic tournaments in the country. In this edition of the Durand, they have shown remarkable consistency. They are yet unbeaten in the tournament, with two draws and four wins. They would be keen to carry forward this consistency in the summit clash as well.

With the club winning almost everything that Indian football system has to offer, the Durand Cup is a major missing. Hence, they would like to clinch the title this time around. With the likes of Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna among goals, the Blues' fans can hope to add yet another trophy to their cabinet.

Team News

As per reports, none of the teams are facing any injury or booking concerns. The fans will be eagerly waiting to see two of the strongest ISL sides field their preferred playing eleven for the summit clash.

Head-to-Head

To date, Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC have met 10 times across all competitions. Mumbai have won five times while Bengaluru FC have won on four occasions. One of the matches was a draw. In these fixtures, Mumbai has scored 16 goals and Bengaluru has scored 17 goals.

Probable Line-ups

Mumbai City FC: Phurba Lachenpa (GK); Amey Ranawade, Rostyn Griffiths, Mourtada Fall (C), Sanjeev Stalin; Vinit Rai, Ahmed Jahouh; Bipin Singh, Greg Stewart, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Gurkirat Singh.

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Prabir Das, Parag Shrivas, Sandesh Jhingan, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Roshan Singh; Bruno Ramires, Jayesh Rane, Rohit Kumar; Roy Krishna, Sunil Chhetri (C).

Man to Watch

Lallianzuala Chhangte (Mumbai City FC)

It has been a dream tournament for Chhangte, who is the highest goal scorer as of now with a tally of seven goals. The national team winger has been able to wreak havoc in opposition defence in every match. He is making runs, playing through-balls, whipping in crosses, and, most importantly, scoring goals.

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He will be a key pawn in Des Buckingham's strategy to break Bengaluru FC's defence, which consists of heavyweights like Sandesh Jhingan and Aleksander Jovanovic. The fans would love to see him clicking with Stewart and getting the team goals in the final.

Roy Krishna (Bengaluru FC)

Roy Krishna began in Bengaluru FC right from where he ended at ATK Mohun Bagan. He has already been on the scoresheet in the Durand Cup three times. Throughout the tournament, he has been a looming threat in the opponent's penalty box, waiting to latch on to anything which may yield results.

Krishna has already proved his goal-scoring prowess and ability to change games in ISL, and, thus, would be keen to leave a similar mark in this year's Durand as well.

Coach's Corner

Des Buckingham

“We are here to win the Durand Cup and start the ISL season with more confidence. I am happy with my team till now. I am expecting an exciting match. BFC is a good team they have good players. My message to the team for tomorrow will be to enjoy the game.”

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Simon Grayson

“We have to play as a team tomorrow. Mumbai has some very good players. Greg Stewart and others. So, we know what they can do. They play a lot of passes. We have to be good tomorrow to stop the opposition. I think it's important to win the final and it doesn't matter what style we play.

"We have to be careful tomorrow and make sure we play better. We don't have any injuries. Our target will be to win the trophy without any injuries. We are in the final and we will make sure that we win the trophy because we have the mentality to win.”

Did You Know?

• Durand Cup is the oldest existing club football tournament in Asia and the third oldest in the world. It was first held in 1888 in Shimla.
• This is the first time Mumbai City FC are playing in the Durand Cup.
• This is the first time Bengaluru FC have reached the final of the Durand Cup.
• Bengaluru FC have now reached the final of all major domestic tournaments in India.

Telecast

The Durand Cup 2022 final between Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium on 18th September, 2022 with a kick-off time of 6 pm IST. The match will be telecasted on Sports18 – Sports18 1 SD & HD and Sports18 Khel (Hindi commentary). It will also be streamed on Voot and JioTV.