IAF have failed to win any of their first two games, against East Bengal and Downtown Heroes respectively. Awaiting them in their final group-stage game are the Mariners, who can't afford any lapses.
Mohun Bagan haven’t played in the competition since opening day, when they narrowly beat the Heroes 1-0. They have a near full-strength squad at their disposal now, which wasn’t the case when the tournament got underway.
(All odds courtesy of 1xbet and subject to change.)
Therefore, the onus will be on Mohun Bagan to get the job done. Anything less than a win could make progression to the knockout stages quite complicated for the defending champions.
Can Air Force catch Mohun Bagan off-guard?
In their opening fixture, the Indian Air Force managed to catch the East Bengal defence napping, thanks to Saurav Sadhukhan’s cross that was converted with fine aplomb by striker Naorem Somananda Singh in the 19th minute.
IAF continued to frustrate East Bengal and led for the majority of the first half, before conceding a 43rd minute equaliser. However, the Red and Gold Brigade pulled away in the second half with two quick-fire goals shortly after the hour mark.
If IAF can catch Mohun Bagan off-guard in similar fashion, it would certainly make matters interesting. However, they cannot rely solely on getting a goal against the run of play. They need to be wise with the ball when in possession.
If East Bengal and Downtown Heroes play out a draw later this evening, IAF’s elimination from the Durand Cup would be mathematically confirmed. Thus, the motivation could be lacking for IAF to get anything out of the game, given that they are almost guaranteed to not make it out of Group A.
However, the possibility of getting a result against an ISL heavyweight like Mohun Bagan is an opportunity that doesn’t present itself often. In last year’s Durand Cup, IAF managed to get a draw against Bengaluru FC. So don’t rule them out just yet.
Mohun Bagan slowly returning to full-strength
Mohun Bagan fielded a team comprising mostly reserves on opening day against Downtown Heroes but still managed to get the job done.
Head coach Jose Francisco Molina will have more options to choose from against IAF, as several senior players returned to training on July 29.
That makes the job at hand for IAF even tougher, who lack the squad depth and quality that the Mariners possess. They do have some seasoned players like Arashpreet Singh and Subhajit Basu who have prior I-League experience.
A shock Air Force win could benefit Downtown Heroes
Players and coaching staff of the Downtown Heroes will be keeping a close eye on this game. The Heroes are currently the second-best 2nd placed team and thus occupy the final qualifying spot for the knockout stages.
If IAF can manage to upset Mohun Bagan, and should the Heroes themselves manage to get a point out of East Bengal, their foothold on that all-important final qualifying berth will become stronger.