Mohun Bagan Super Giant will kick off their defence of the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup title in a landmark match featuring Punjab FC, which is the first-ever promoted side in the history of the league, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday.
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What’s at stake?
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Juan Ferrando’s side roped in India internationals like Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad in the transfer window, which will inspire the team to go one step forward and clinch the ISL League Winners Shield this season. A strong start is paramount for them as dropping points early on in the campaign can prove to be costly in the latter half of the competition.
Punjab FC
Punjab FC won a whopping 52 points in the I-League last year as they recorded the most wins (16) and the least losses (2) in the second-tier to secure a well-deserved promotion. Making the most of this opportunity against the incumbent ISL trophy winners will be vital for their prospects this season.
Key Players
Sahal Abdul Samad (Mohun Bagan Super Giant)
The attacking midfielder joined the Mohun Bagan Super Giant in a blockbuster move from the Kerala Blasters in the summer. Samad has enthralled fans with his creativity and ability to both create and capitalise on goal-scoring opportunities both in the ISL as well as in the national team colours. He will be paired with fellow midfield star Thapa at the centre of the park and the duo’s coordination and link-up play will be central to the team’s success both in the coming game and in the entire campaign too.
Luka Majcen (Punjab FC)
Luka Majcen topped the goal-scoring charts with 16 strikes in the I-League 2022/23. He netted once in every 104 minutes in the league, and that imperious touch leading the attack will come in handy as Punjab tries to find its footing in the ISL.
Head-to-Head
This will be the first encounter between the two teams in the ISL.
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Team Talk
“Punjab is a good team. The last season was an amazing season for them. The ISL for them is a big opportunity to start. They are the champions of the last season (in the I-League). It’s an important match. It will be an amazing game and I hope that we are focused for 90 minutes because the opponent is not so easy. It’s important to be focused for the full 90 minutes,” Mariners’ tactician Juan Ferrando assessed the ISL newcomers.
“I wish this will be a season where we raise up Indian football a few steps higher. Regarding our game, it’s true that it’s almost been more than a month since the first game of the Durand Cup when we faced Mohun Bagan. For sure, a lot of things have changed for both the teams. We have had more weeks of preparation. That time, we had only two weeks of preparation. Both the teams will be in a better condition, which means it will be a great match,” Punjab FC head coach Staikos Vergatis reflected on the forward steps taken by his team since their loss to the Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Durant Cup in August.
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