Mohun Bagan meets Mumbai City in a titanic clash for the 2023 Durand Cup quarterfinals on Sunday at Salt Lake Stadium.
MCFC vs MBSG Match Details
Date: Sunday, 27 August 2023
Time: 18:00 (IST)
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
MCFC vs MBSG Match Preview
Mumbai City have picked up where they left off last season by winning all three matches in the Durand Cup. Des Buckingham’s team have scored 12 goals and conceded just once so far in the tournament and look determined to win the trophy they lost in the final last year. Having a pre-season ahead of other sides shows the Islanders are taking each competition seriously. They probably have the most difficult season ever balancing their ISL Shield defence and the AFC Champions League with the competition returning to its normal home and away format. Slotted in a group with Al-Hilal containing Brazilian star Neymar, FC Nassaji of Iran and Uzbekistan league runners-up Navbahor, Mumbai City have a tougher challenge to repeat their heroics last time in the competition. Side-by-side national team duties will also cause an issue with consistency. Hence, the ISL Shield Winners will try to be in their best shape possible. They will hope to carry their momentum against Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup quarterfinals.
ISL trophy winners Mohun Bagan Super Giants started their Durand Cup 2023 in an impressive way. After thrashing Bangladesh Army 5-0 in the opener, the Mariners beat ISL debutants Punjab FC 2-0 but had a major setback in the Kolkata derby. Losing to their noisy rivals East Bengal by 1-0, their qualification to the knockouts dwindled after another Kolkata giant Mohammedan FC almost replaced them in the best runners-up ranking. It was the goal difference that saved the Green and Maroons at last. Their journey became more challenging as they landed a quarterfinal tire with ISL Shield champions Mumbai City. However, Mohun Bagan feels this is the right time to face the side they have not beaten so far in the ISL. Following the derby loss, the team returned to winning ways with a 3-1 triumph over Machindra FC of Nepal and Bangladesh’s Abhani Dhaka in the AFC Cup qualifiers to seal a spot in the competition’s group stage. Fitness remains a concern but the Mariners will be confident to continue their journey in the competition. Winning this tie will surely make them favourites to go on and win the silverware for the record time.
MCFC vs MBSG Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Lachenpa (Cr - 7.5, Pts - 42)
DEF: A Rai (Cr - 7) M Singh (Cr - 9, Pts - 65), Anwar (Cr - 6, Pts - 44), Bose (Cr - 8, Pts - 31)
MID: B Singh (Cr - 9, Pts - 70), Noguera (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 154), Boumous (Cr - 7.5, Pts – 68)
FW: Stewart (Cr - 9, Pts - 134), Cummings (Cr - 8.5), Peyeyra Diaz (Cr - 8, Pts - 193)
Vice-captain: Alberto Noguera or Hugo Boumous
Captain: Peyeyra Diaz or Jason Cummings
