Mohun Bagan fail to get past the Snow Lions

There are different scenarios of two different clubs in the heart of Kolkata. While East Bengal is trying their best to be in the title race, on the other hand, their arch rivals Mohun Bagan are trying hard to save themselves from relegation. But things are not going right for Mohun Bagan, as they had a beautiful chance to open their account with three points by beating United Sikkim, but instead had to satisfy themselves with a single point. .

The home team, Mohun Bagan, enjoyed most of the ball possession in both halves but failed to score a single goal, as their attacks were not sharp enough to torment the Sikkim defense. In the absence of Mohun Bagan captain and their prime striker Odafa Okolie, Syed Rahim Nabi got the role of a striker beside Aussie striker Tolgay Ozbey. Having played only three games in the last three and a half months, Tolgay was not up to the mark. One of his free kicks, within 10 minutes after the start, rebounded off the cross bar. To increase the number of attacks, Mohun Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa introduced Sabeeth from the very start of the second half, but the Snow Lions were determined enough to block those attacks. At the end, the scoreline remained Mohun Bagan 0-0 United Sikkim.

After the match, frustration and disappointment were clearly seen on the faces of the Mohun Bagan players, and also in the body language of Karim Bencherifa, as the situation is getting harder for him to save his side from the relegation zone. After starting their second innings in the I-League, Mohun Bagan lost their first match against Salgaocar by 2-0. Mohun Bagan are now in the last position in the league table with a single point from 12 games, while the Snow Lions are one step ahead of Mohun Bagan with 11 points from 17 matches. In the post match press conference, Karim said they would have to win 9 out of  the remaining 14 matches to save themselves from relegation. But seems like it will be not easy for the Mariners.