Mohun Bagan vs FC Ravshan Kulob Preview, Predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast details | AFC Champions League Two 2024-25

The Mariners will be looking for a perfect start to life on the Asian stage.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant are hoping to kick off their 2024-25 AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) campaign on a positive note against Ravshan Kulob at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Wednesday (18th September).

After a shaky start to their Indian Super League (ISL) season, the Mariners look to prove their quality in the continental competition by ousting the unpredictable Tajikistan club and feeding off their fans’ energy to produce a memorable display.

The Stakes

Mohun Bagan

The Kolkata heavyweights are India’s only representative in this competition and have a lot riding on themselves to represent Indian Football positively. Jose Molina knows the importance for his side taking maximum points from their home matches in the ACL Two if they aspire to get out of this challenging group. Despite being in earl season, the Mariners have to play to their utmost potential and be at their efficient, clinical best to outwit this Tajikistan side.

Molina also needs to fix his side’s defensive issues seeing the worrying way they keep conceding goals in late stages of matches. He’ll need his side to be defensively stronger and more prolific in converting their chances to thrill the home crowd and get the win. A win could be a major momentum booster for Mohun Bagan for the rest of the games, but a draw or loss at home could create further frustration.

Ravshan Kulob

Having finished in second place in the Tajikistan top division last season, Ravshan Kulob now aims to prove their quality in the ACL two. They have some experienced players in their team, in terms of Tajikistan stars as well as a pretty strong foreign core to compete well in Asia. But Kulob will need to be mentally tough to withstand the onslaught from the charged-up Mohun Bagan side in their own yard.

They’ll definitely need to defend as a strong unit to keep the Mariners at bay and will probably be encouraged by seeing the Indian side’s defensive issues as of late. Kulob knows that a win can give them a huge advantage and the ability to compete for the top spots in the group, while a bad loss will only feed to the narrative of them being the ‘weaker’ team of the group.

Injury & Team News

Mohun Bagan should be able to include star forward Jamie Maclaren in their squad, but questions remain around his match fitness. Ravshan should have a fully fit unit available for this one.

Head-to-Head

This is the first time that the Mariners will play against the Tajikistan side in a competitive football match.

Predicted Lineups

Mohun Bagan (3-4-1-2)

Vishal Kaith (GK); Tom Aldred, Alberto Rodriguez, Subhasish Bose; Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco; Greg Stewart; Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings

Ravshan Kulob (4-3-3)

Yevhen Hrytsenko (GK); Sorbon Giyosov, Kholmurod Nazarov, Siddiq Issah, Saidkhoni Amrokhon; Samuel Ofori, Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov, Kojo Matic; Andriy Markovych, Shodidzhon Murodov, Bakhtiyor Zaripov

Players to Watch

Greg Stewart (Mohun Bagan)

Greg Stewart was brought aboard at Mohun Bagan to bring that added creative spark to the frontline and especially to use his quality and trouble teams in Asia. The Scottish midfielder produced a decent performance against Mumbai City FC, grabbing a nice assist and creating a few nice chances.

But Stewart needs to up his level from that outing and be at his creative best to unlock the full potential of  Mohun Bagan’s attacks. He will be tasked with getting into more empty spaces in the final third and nailing his final passes to split open the opposition’s backline.

He’ll need to use his intelligence to play his forwards into goal-scoring situations in the attack and also look to get into more unmarked areas to put his finishing skills to good use as well.

Bakhtiyor Zaripov (Ravshan Kulob)

There is quite a bit of unpredictability around how Ravshan Kulob operates, but they definitely have some explosive forwards that can torment the Mohun Bagan backline. Their star forward Bakhtiyor Zaripov is coming into this game in decent form, being their top scorer in the Tajikistan top division so far this season with five goals.

The Tajikistan forward will look to cause issues with his off-the-ball movement and link up smartly to help his side move forward and threaten the Mariners’ goal. Zaripov will need to make use of the slightest of chances at his disposal and produce a clinical performance to help his side get a positive result from the Salt Lake Stadium.

Did you know?

• Mohun Bagan have conceded two or more goals in their last four competitive matches, including seven goals in the second half.
• Ravshan Kulob made 17 appearances in the former AFC Cup, out of which they could only win one game (in 2014).
• Jamie Maclaren could become the eighth Australian player to make his debut for Mohun Bagan against Ravshan.

Telecast Details

The AFC Champions League Two group stage clash between Mohun Bagan and Ravshan Kulob will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Wednesday. The match kicks off at 7:30 PM IST. It will be streamed live on the FanCode app.

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