Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal : This is first big match in the ISL. In Indian football, the match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal is usually the biggest, although lately, it hasn’t been quite that way on the field. As you know, Mohun Bagan have won all six matches played against East Bengal, and East Bengal have lost all the six clubs in this young league. It’s a drop in the grand scheme (395 matches played, 141 EB wins, 128 by MB), but the drop is notable because it happens so much now.
This is where the left side of Carless Quadrat is entered. And it has the right swagger. He led East Bengal to their first major national title in twelve years last week. East Bengal fans are devoted to him; In an interview with this writer, one fan referred to him only as “Sir Quadrat”, while another, with a bit too much emphasis on the dramatic, called him God. He knows that he has once again believed in the red-gold section of Calcutta.
“For the first time in more than three years, there is hope… there is a sense that we are equal,” Cuadrat added. “After a long time in the ISL, [both fans and players] know we can be competitive, and that’s important.”
Speaking to a packed news conference divided along dividing lines, like City, Kuadrat was cautious, “We are in eighth position, eight points ahead of Bagan,” and, “We have four goal scorers in the ISL. [11 G scoring], their 11 [ scoring 19],” but the overriding feeling was aggressive positivity.
Cuadrat has won two of the three derbies held this season Now this is third Time of Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal —two in the Durand Cup and one in the Super Cup—and for good reason. “We are a big club, with a lot of history,” he said. And he’s thrilled that his followers have finally rediscovered their appreciation for cutlery. “Now [the fans] are proud,” he said. “They can talk to [gardens] face to face.”
The pressure must increase before Saturday’s big game, right? “It’s amazing,” was the reply.
Clayton Silva, his captain and the man who scored the game-winning goal in the Super Cup final, agrees. “I enjoy participating in these kinds of games. What motivation do you need when you have 30,000 people cheering for you just in the warm-up?” he said, before sowing the seeds of mischief. He smiled broadly and remarked, “Something at Mohun Bagan too.” There’s turmoil, isn’t there?” “With the new coach…”
But that new coach has experience. Antonio Lopez Habas has managed 97 ISL matches, more than any other manager. Together with ATK and ATK Mohun Bagan, he won the ISL. Now he wants to do it with a thriving club free from the burden of division called ‘ATK’.
After a real rollercoaster of a half-season, Habs has taken over this team. After leading them to victory in the Durand Cup (a derby four lost in three), an embarrassing group stage exit in the AFC Cup, a seven-game winning streak in the ISL and three consecutive defeats, Juan Fernando was sacked. Habas is at a disadvantage in this situation as he has unexpectedly stepped into a team that is not his own and lacks the men he normally prefers to fill his squad with.
Not that his press conference expression revealed anything.
Habas’ messaging was quieter and less elaborate than Quadrat’s, even with his heavy accent when speaking in English. He said, apparently knowing full well what the phrase meant, “I know it’s the Derby, but I’m not nervous.” Ultimately, I have to make sure my athletes aren’t anxious. After all, it’s just a football game.”
He adds, “There are no favorites in the derby” that help him compose his list. “Never before or after. Only competition.
However, there is also a quiet assurance of his players’ technical prowess. Under the temporary management of assistant Clifford Miranda, Bagan lost their most recent derby in the Super Cup. He noted that seven players from that team were called up to the national team, while two were regularly sidelined due to injury. But, he added, “that’s in the past.” “Our aim is to win trophies; we are not here to make excuses. We are entering a new era.”
He could launch it by welcoming Sahl Abdul Samad, Anwar Ali (“both 100% available”) and the entire Indian delegation visiting Qatar. This theoretically makes it a much better squad than a Quadrat.
He responded with a one-liner that demonstrated why he is the most successful coach in the league’s history: “I don’t know what it’s like to lose against East Bengal, because I’ve never lost a match against them.” However, this season, the question of pressure and garden rate has been raised again and again.
“Every Boro match has something that makes it special,” Kuadrat previously said. With this one, the 396th edition, there is a real possibility that Mohun Bagan and Antonio Habas may not win for the first time in a very long time. And that is a very tempting prospect.
