In the sixth game of Matchday 15 of the 2023-24 Indian Super League, Mohun Bagan Super Giant will be taking on NorthEast United at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday.
Having been rejuvenated since the arrival of Antonio Lopez Habas back at the helm, Mohun Bagan Super Giant is playing like a title contender after quite a while. They are unbeaten in their last three matches, and with 26 points from 13 games, the Mariners are 3rd in the standings.
On the other hand, NorthEast United are among the many teams competing for a place in the top six, although they are not a part of the elite club just yet. With 16 points from 14 matches, the Highlanders are 7th in the standings. Juan Pedro Benali’s team is unbeaten in the last four games.
Current Form
Mohun Bagan Super Giant had a dream start to their campaign as they won all of their first five matches. The Mariners defeated Punjab 3-1, Bengaluru 1-0, Chennaiyin 3-1, Jamshedpur 3-2 and Hyderabad 2-0, to clinch all 15 points from their first five games.
The winning streak came to an end when they met Odisha in their sixth match as they could only get a 2-2 draw in that match, but they bounced back with a 3-1 win over NorthEast United.
However, a nightmarish period followed as the Mariners then lost three back-to-back games – 1-2 against Mumbai City, 1-4 against Goa and 0-1 against Kerala Blasters. They made a mini-comeback by getting a 2-2 draw in the Kolkata Derby against East Bengal, but have looked superb in their last two matches, beating Hyderabad 2-0 and Goa 1-0.
On the other hand, NorthEast United started their season with a 1-2 loss against Mumbai City but they were unbeaten in their next four games. The Highlanders defeated Chennaiyin and Jamshedpur while drawing against Punjab and Kerala Blasters during this phase.
But Benali’s team lost the plot midway through the season, as they went without a win for eight straight games. They lost 0-1 against Odisha, came back to draw 1-1 against Bengaluru, but were then thrashed 0-5 by East Bengal. In their next five games, though, they lost only one game.
That defeat was a 1-3 loss against the Mariners, but they drew 1-1 against four teams – Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa and Jamshedpur. In their last match, NorthEast United defeated East Bengal by a 3-2 margin.
Head to Head Record
When it comes to head-to-head records, Mohun Bagan Super Giant has the upper hand over NorthEast United. These two teams have crossed paths nine times in the league, where the Mariners have won six games while the Highlanders have won only twice. Only one game ended in a draw.
The last meeting, which took place in December 2023, saw the Mariners getting a 3-1 win. Deepak Tangri, Jason Cummings and Subhasish Bose were on the scoresheet for the team from Kolkata, while Phalguni Singh was NorthEast United’s only goal-scorer.
Team News
It will not be a surprise if Habas fields the same starting XI that won him the match against Goa. In terms of absentees, central defenders Anwar Ali and Brendan Hamill are still recovering from their respective injuries that they sustained in the 2-2 draw against East Bengal.
It is likely that this match will come too soon for Hamill. As for Anwar, while the young defensive star has made a quick recovery and is now out on the grass practising with the team, Habas is unlikely to rush him into first-team action once again, especially with Dippendu Biswas doing well against Goa. The Mariners will not miss any player due to card-related suspensions.
Similarly, Benali would also like to select the same eleven players who took the field in the 3-2 win against East Bengal, but the Israeli tactician might be forced to make a change to his plans for this game.
If Macarton Louis Nickson is unavailable, Gani Nigam can be seen in NorthEast United’s midfield
Macarton Louis Nickson, the 19-year-old midfielder from Karnataka, suffered an injury in that fixture and his availability for this game is not guaranteed. In case he is not fit in time, Kerala lad Gani Nigam could be seen in the midfield. Like the Mariners, the Highlanders will also not miss any player due to card-related issues.
Predicted Starting XIs
Mohun Bagan Super Giant (3-1-4-2): Vishal Kaith; Dippendu Biswas, Hector Yuste, Subhasish Bose; Deepak Tangri; Asish Rai, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Manvir Singh; Dimitri Petratos, Armando Sadiku.
NorthEast United (4-2-3-1): Mirshad Michu; Dinesh Singh, Michel Zabaco, Asheer Akhtar, Buanthanglun Samte; Mohamed Ali Bemammer, Gani Nigam; Redeem Tlang, Nestor Albiach, Jithin MS; Tomi Juric.
Prediction
Given that their last league defeat came back three matches ago and they won their last game in a spectacular fashion, it is undeniable that NorthEast United will be a confident unit coming into this match. But considering how Mohun Bagan Super Giant has played since Habas’ return, including their win against a high-flying Goa, the Mariners will start this game as the favorites.