MARGAO, Jan 28: ATK Mohun Bagan will start as favourites against a struggling SC East Bengal in their second derby of the ongoing Indian Super League season here on Saturday.
The two Kolkata giants made their forays into the ISL last season and were met with contrasting fortunes with SC East Bengal finishing ninth to ATKMB’s second-place finish in the league table.
The script has not changed this season despite SC East Bengal making a deadline-day swoop for one of ATKMB’s protagonists Arindam Bhattacharya in goal.
The first derby this season was a walk in the park for the Mariners (3-0) who have since then not had a great season so far but for their rivals, the plane never took off as it took two head coach changes to win their first game, after 11 unsuccessful attempts.
East Bengal got the better of Mohun Bagan the last time on January 27 in 2019, making it a long wait for their vociferous fans for a taste of victory.
Still lying at the bottom of the table, Mario Rivera’s side were humbled by Hyderabad FC in their last outing while ATKMB played out a goalless draw after a mini-break to remain eighth in the table but with three games in hand.
Head coach Juan Ferrando will have the services of Hugo Boumous who will return to the fold after serving a one-match suspension.
“I am happy to be a part of this fixture. For me, it is a pleasure to be involved in such a big game. It is an opportunity to be part of this legacy,” said Ferrando on the eve of the marquee clash.
“But, we do understand at the end of the day our target is to get 3 points and improve on how we play. It is necessary not to lose focus.”
On SC East Bengal, he added: “SC East Bengal have changed a lot since the season started. If I talk about the last 3-4 games, their players played more freely, were compact, and pushed hard. I guess their supporters are happier now with the performance.”
SC East Bengal have been guilty of leaking goals before the half-time whistle and Rivera would want to break the pattern against a deadly attacking line of ATKMB.
East Bengal have conceded 11 goals in the 15-minute period before half time this season. No team has conceded more goals in this period.
“When you play a derby, league positions do not matter. The derby is always about facing your top rival and the outcome can be anything,” said Rivera.
“ATKMB has one of the best attacking line-ups in the ISL. We have to stop their runs and make sure we don’t give them much space to manoeuvre,” said Rivera.
“You need the right mix of technicality and tactical prowess to win a match, so both are important.”
ATK Mohun Bagan have an 8-1 aggregate score across three games against SC East Bengal and that sums up the gulf between the two teams since they entered the top league of the country. (PTI)
