Nervous Mohun Bagan vs. Statistically Confident Prayag United…The fight of two giants.
Statistics speaking, Prayag United have an unbeaten record against Mohun Bagan in the I-League since the last two years. Prayag United have beaten Mohun Bagan in their last four meetings in the I-League. All these matches were played in the Salt Lake stadium; but when Mohun Bagan will take on Prayag in the Kalyani stadium tomorrow, there is a 50-50 chance for the Mariners to end Prayag’s unbeaten run against them.
While Prayag’s season has been a mixed bag so far, Mohun Bagan is facing the threat of relegation. After starting their second innings in the I-League, Mohun Bagan played only two matches. In the first match, they were beaten by Salgaocar FC 2-0. Though Mohun Bagan got a golden opportunity to grab three points from their home match against not-so-strong United Sikkim, the Mariners were held by the Snow Lions to a goal-less draw. Mohun Bagan now have 14 more matches left in their I-League campaign. Cocah Karim Bencherifa admitted that they have to win 9 out of 14 matches to save themselves from relegation, but he also knows that it is a task that’s easier said than done.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan will not get the service of their captain and prime striker Odafa Okolie in this match because of his three- match ban. It will be a big blow for the Mariners, as Odafa is a player who can change the scenario of the game on his own. Tolgay’s poor form is also a concern for Mohun Bagan’s Moroccan coach. In this situation, Mohun Bagan signed former East Bengal player Sushant Mathew and Quinton Jacobs.
On the other hand, Prayag United will certainly want to keep their unbeaten run against Mohun Bagan intact. Though the Prayag players are a bit tired after playing back-to-back games in the I-League and in the CFL, this record will certainly give them a confidence boost. In the first meeting in this I-League, Prayag defeated Mohun Bagan 2-1. Like Odafa, Prayag will not have the services their Costa Rican midfielder Carlos Hernandez. As a result, Vincent might get the chance in the starting XI.
Though there is no big difference between these two Kolkata giants, United has a slight better chance to grab three points and move up the league table. But they will be concerned about their recent run of poor form. Prayag lost their last game against Mumbai FC 2-1, where they were favourites to win.
Meanwhile, Prayag are now in the 5th position in the league table with 26 points from 17 matches, while Mohun Bagan have managed to grab a single point from their last game against United Sikkim and are now in last position. To save themselves from relegation, this is a must-win match for Mohun Bagan.