Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC will rekindle the heat as the two Indian Super League (ISL) sides lock horns in the fourth and final quarter-final of the Durand Cup 2023 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, on Sunday.

The clash between the ISL League Winners and ISL Cup Winners is poised to escalate, with both teams deploying their most formidable lineups for the Durand Cup.

The Mariners have not yet managed to secure a victory against Mumbai City FC in any competition. Out of the seven encounters between the two, Mumbai City FC has emerged victorious five times, while the remaining two matches resulted in draws.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s road to the quarter-finals

The Mariners began their Durand Cup journey on a high note with a resounding 5-0 victory against the Bangladesh Army, followed by a 2-0 win over Punjab FC.

However, their winning streak was halted by their arch-rivals, East Bengal FC, as they suffered a 1-0 defeat in the Kolkata Derby. Despite this, Mohun Bagan Super Giant secured their place in the knockout stages of the Durand Cup due to a goal difference of +6, making them one of the two second-placed teams.

Boosted by their qualification for the AFC Cup group stages, achieved by defeating Machhindra FC and Abahani Limited Dhaka in the preliminary rounds, the Green and Maroon team is now brimming with confidence. They aim to carry this momentum into their match against Mumbai City FC on Sunday.

Before the game, Mohun Bagan Super Giant's head coach, Juan Ferrando, stated, “Mumbai City FC are preparing for the AFC Champions League and we are preparing for the AFC Cup. So for both of the teams, this match is going to be a good practice match. Mumbai City FC are a difficult opponent. They have some good wingers along with Chhangte, Bipin, Mehtab and Akash. They also have good foreigners like Greg Stewart. But even our team has also played two consecutive matches and is ready and tomorrow it’s going to be a good game. We will try our best to win.”

Mumbai City FC’s road to the quarter-finals

Des Buckingham's side maintains a perfect winning record in the Durand Cup so far, having triumphed in all three of their group-stage matches. Following Chennaiyin FC's exit on Saturday, they stand as the sole team in the competition to achieve this feat this season.

Mumbai City FC commenced their tournament with a convincing 3-1 victory over Mohammedan SC, followed by securing two more comfortable wins against Jamshedpur FC (5-0) and Indian Navy (4-0) to conclude their group stage performance.

The Islanders have scored 12 goals, averaging four goals per match, and have conceded just one, showcasing their dominance over their opponents. They now aim to uphold that winning record, although it won't be an easy task against an MBSG side coming off two consecutive victories in the preliminary stages of the AFC Cup.

Ahead of the clash Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham said, “Yeah, I'm happy (with our group stage performance). We obviously wanted to pick up where we left off from last year. For us, it wasn't about starting anew this year. It was about recognizing a lot of the good work that certainly has been built and was on show last season and taking a large part of that with us to this year. Now it's about the continuation of that which will allow us to evolve and get better,” said Buckingham.

The winner of this clash will take on FC Goa in the second semi-final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, in Kolkata, on August 31.

Match Details

Fixture: Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs. Mumbai City FC, Durand Cup quarter-final
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, Kolkata
Time: 6:00 PM IST
Telecast: Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony TEN 2, Sony LIV (Live streaming)

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Mohun Bagan Super GiantMumbai City FC