While the Indian Super League(ISL) 2023-24 season has come to an end, pressure and expectation are building up on both Mohun Bagan Super Giants and Mumbai City FC as they face each other once again at the Mariner’s home ground Salt Lake Stadium today for the ISL Final.
While Mumbai City FC is seeking redemption for their recent ISL Shield loss against the Mariners by 2-1, on the other half the Mariners are focusing on winning the ISL championship back to back by becoming the first Indian football team to win a treble.
Mohun Bagan Super Giants Coach on the ISL Final
Antonio Lopez Habas stated during the press media conference that ‘There is no question of revenge for me. It’s one more game of football. We are playing against a very good opponent. I am very happy and excited for the final and we have to compete well to win the trophy. We have played finals in different places. But this is special, to play a final at our home in front of our own supporters.’
The Mariners made a great comeback in the second half of the ISL after the sacking of their head coach Juan Ferrando and the international break under the guidance of the veteran Spaniard Antonio Lopez Habas who made the team unbeatable in the League and finished it at the top of the league with 48 points.
The Spaniard’s tactics also changed the playing style for the Mariners and brought major changes to their players like Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Jason Cummings, and their star player Dimitrios Petratos.
Habas further said that he thinks that both the teams are at their best and the final will be competitive between both the teams as both the teams have good players and organization to score goals at crucial times.
Mumbai City FC Will try to seek Redemption
The Mariners destroyed the Islanders in their previous meeting at the Salt Lake Stadium by 2-1 with some goals from Liston Colaco in the 28th minute and Jason Cummings in the 80th minute to take the ISL Shield from their hands. After the match, the Islanders brought major changes to their playing style with an intensive pacy counter-attack and balance in the ball.
Petr Kraky, the head coach of Mumbai City FC said in the press conference that they have learned from their mistake in their previous encounter with the Mariners and will start the final in a different way in which they will try to keep the ball into their possession and win the game.
The Islanders head coach is not concerned about playing in the home ground of the Mariners but the Czech tactician is happy to find a source of inspiration from the crowd to find a way into the hosts’ net and silence them.
The head coach is also expecting some Mumbai fans who are going to travel to Kolkata to support their team till the end of the match. The supporters will be low in comparison with the Mohun Bagan supporters but it will be enough for the players to hear their voices in the stadium.
Both the Team’s Players On the Final
Rahul Bheke who has already played for the Mariners’ arch-rivals East Bengal said that a final in Kolkata is already filled up with emotions as he is trying to calm his players down and maintain their behavior to play in the best way possible.
Bheke further said that he knows the fans of the Salt Lake stadium when he played for the Red and Gold Brigade but this time it will be the opposite as he will be playing against them in Mumbai City FC.
Talking the talk ✅
Walking the talk 🔜Watch the #ISL Final on May 4, 2024, 6:30 PM LIVE only on @JioCinema, @Sports18, @Vh1India, #SuryaMovies & #DDBangla! 📺#MBSGMCFC #ISL10 #ISLPlayoffs #LetsFootball #MBSG #MumbaiCityFC | @mohunbagansg @MumbaiCityFC pic.twitter.com/pUE0w4nTvv
— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) May 3, 2024
The Mariners star striker Dimitrios Petratos said that Mohun Bagan Super Giant is one of the best clubs that he has ever played in his entire football career and he is enjoying it here. He hopes to give the fans an ISL final win to give them something they can remember for a decade.
A Final Glance Between the Islanders and the Mariners
The Islanders have an impressive winning rate of 67% against the Mariners with 25 matches played between them in which Mumbai City FC won 11 times and Mohun Bagan Super Giant won 9 times with 7 draws.
All eyes will be on Mumbai City FC’s star winger Lallianzuala Chhangte whose form has returned recently in the two legs semi-final match against FC Goa and Mohun Bagan’s unbreakable wall and their skipper Subashish Bose whose defending led the Mariners to crucial wins at important times.
The final of the 2023-24 ISL will begin today at 7:30 pm and it can be viewed on the Sports 18 channel and Jio Cinema.
