Mohun Bagan start as favourites

CALCUTTA, MARCH 21: Having already secured the coveted title in the fourth edition of the National Football League, Mohun Bagan will play ...

CALCUTTA, MARCH 21: Having already secured the coveted title in the fourth edition of the National Football League, Mohun Bagan will play for pride when they clash with traditional rivals East Bengal here on Wednesday.

Both the teams, known for their bitter soccer rivalry over decades, will be keen to win the match for the sake of their supporters though the result of the contest will have no bearing on Bagan.

East Bengal, who have been far from impressive in the League this year, have just managed 26 points from as many outings.

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East Bengal have been a pale shadow of themselves in most of the matches and will try to improve their standing on the points table by putting it across their arch rivals Bagan at the Salt Lake stadium on Wednesday.

But they may find the going tough against a confident Bagan who not only have a balanced team but have played consistently for most part of the League, barring a few minor hiccups.

Uzbekistan striker Igor Shkvirin and Brazilian striker Jose Barreto have played a stellar role in Bagan’s triumph and the team will again be relying on the duo to deliver the goods.

East Bengal, plagued by injury problems, have lacked a genuine striker in their ranks which had proved quite costly in the earlier matches. They have to excel in all departments of the game to counter Bagan.

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