ISL 2024-25: High-flying Mohun Bagan eyes league-double against beleaguered Mohammedan Sporting
ISL 2024-25: High-flying Mohun Bagan eyes league-double against beleaguered Mohammedan Sporting
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will be looking to extend its hold over the top position when it meets beleaguered city rival Mohammedan SC in a mini-derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 11, at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday.
Leading the current standings with 40 points from 18 matches, Mohun Bagan will be utilising the opportunity to raise its stock as it takes on an opposition which is struggling at the bottom of the table.
Mohammedan Sporting, which has managed 11 points from two wins and five draws in 17 matches it has played so far, is going through turmoil off the field with allegations of non-payment of salaries to the players and the coaching staff.
The team is also rattled by the resignation of its head coach Andrey Chernyshov, who quit over the payment issue initially, but later reconsidered his decision. For the Mohun Bagan match however, assistant coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo will take over the reins of the team ahead of the crucial encounter.
Wadoo, a former India international, put up a brave face ahead of the match saying that his team is a professional side and is prepared to face any problems.
Wadoo will be hoping that his team is motivated enough to face the most consistently performing opponent like Mohun Bagan, which has won 12, drawn four and lost just twice to be the foremost claimant of this season’s League Shield.
Mohun Bagan had secured a facile 3-0 win in the first meeting and it is expected that it will be maintaining its dominance in the return fixture and complete a league double.
In contrast, Mohammedan SC has experienced the opposite fortune drawing up huge arrears with inconsistent performances so far. This led to its fall to the bottom of the 13-team standings, which is evident in the 10 losses it has suffered so far.
However, Sporting has done comparatively well in the last five games, where it picked up a win and three draws to bring up some respectability to its reputation.
