Before resuming their respective ISL campaigns, Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Odisha are all set to take on each other one more time in the 2023-24 AFC Cup.
The Matchday 5 clash of Group D between the two combatants from the same nation will be crushing as the elimination threat is up on both. It will be hosted by the City of Joy’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan of Kolkata on Monday which will also be the final group fixture at this venue.
The Mariners kick-started their continental journey in style but could not continue the same momentum as the group stage caravan progressed. They are currently standing on equal points with the table toppers Bashundhara Kings but the Bangladeshi outfit currently sits top owing to their superior head-to-head record.
Meanwhile, Odisha’s debut run at the second-most prestigious Asian club competition commenced on a terrible note as they lost both of their opening encounters. The Bhubaneswar-based club staged an astounding comeback to win the following two games and currently sits third on the points table with just a single point behind the group toppers.
Current Form
Mohun Bagan Super Giant currently sits in third place in the ISL points table with 12 points from four fixtures as the Mariners have defeated Punjab, Bengaluru, Chennaiyin, and Jamshedpur so far in the league season. In the AFC Cup, the Mariners sit in second position in Group D after losing 2-1 to Basundhara Kings in Dhaka.
The Green and Maroon Brigade suffered their first defeat of this AFC Cup edition when they clashed with Bashundhara Kings in the Bangladeshi capital city. The opening goal was scored by MBSG’s Liston Colaco in the 17th minute but the Kings eventually recovered themselves from the early collapse and emerged victorious by the final scoreline of 2-1.
On the other hand, Odisha was on the verge of elimination in their last AFC Cup fixture when they were down 0-2 during the half-time break against Maziya in an away fixture at Maldives National Football Stadium.
However, Sergio Lobera instilled refreshing energy into his players when they returned to the grass and went on to claim three crucial points. The first two goals from Mourtada Fall and Diego Mauricio silenced the home crowd and then an 85th-minute winning goal from the veteran striker Roy Krishna sealed the deal for the Kalinga Warriors.
On the league front, the Juggernauts are placed fifth in the standings with 10 points from six fixtures as Lobera’s men have defeated Chennaiyin, Bengaluru, and NorthEast United while drawing away to Mumbai City and losing to Goa and Kerala Blasters, both by a single-goal margin.
Head to Head Record
MBSG has been thriving on an undefeated record against their cultural rivals ever since their induction into the Indian top-flight league.
The two Indian outfits have squared off against each other in the domestic league and higher platforms eight times and MBSG fetched a win on five occasions. Odisha came very close to getting better off the neighborhood side thrice but eventually ended up sharing points with them.
The first and only face-off between these two combatants in this season took place in the opening matchday of the AFC Cup group stage.
The Mariners registered a thumping 4-0 triumph at Kalinga Stadium starring Dimitri Petratos’ brace and one each goal from Sahal Abdul Samad and Liston Colaco. The maiden continental night fared horribly for the Juggernauts as the key defender Fall also saw a red card which made him unavailable for their next Asian fixture.
Team News
Amey Ranawade’s absence is likely to be prolonged as the recently joined Mizo full-back defender Laldinliana Renthlei may get yet another shot at the right-back position. The only change from Odisha’s previous starting lineup we can speculate is the return of the posterboy Jerry Mawihmingthanga.
The 26-year-old was brought onto the field in the second half against Maziya and will be replacing another Mizo winger Isak Vanlalruatfela who could not impress much on the given opportunity.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant fans are expecting a speedy recovery of the stalwart Indian defender Anwar Ali who picked up an ankle fracture in October and is likely to return very soon.
Manvir Singh is doubtful for the AFC Cup encounter
The 28-year-old forward Manvir Singh may become the latest addition to MBSG’s list of injured players as his absence from India’s matchday squad against Qatar surprised everyone. The offensive failure in the recent defeat indicates that the Spaniard gaffer Juan Ferrando may come up with a new combination in the attacking unit.
Predicted Starting XIs
Mohun Bagan SG (3-4-1-2): Vishal Kaith; Brendan Hamill, Hector Yuste, Subashish Bose; Asish Rai, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco; Hugo Boumous; Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings
Odisha (4-2-3-1): Amrinder Singh; Laldinliana Renthlei, Mourtada Fall, Carlos Delgado, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Ahmed Jahouh, Lalthathanga Khawlhring; Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Cy Goddard, Roy Krishna; Diego Mauricio
Prediction
This game is going to play a vital role in the qualification scenarios of both sides as they are currently just a single point apart in the group stages. MBSG is definitely the favorite to win this contest having multiple aspects such as home conditions, recent form, and overall head-to-head record in their favor.