Mohun Bagan eye redemption as NEUFC come calling again
Times of India | 23 September 2024
Kolkata: The season is barely a couple of months old but Jose Molina seems to have already started feeling the heat.
The Spaniard’s return to Indian football eight years after guiding now defunct ATK to the Indian Super League summit started with Mohun Bagan SG losing the Durand Cup title to NorthEast United FC last month. The pressure got more intense when his team let a 2-0 lead slip away before allowing Mumbai City FC to finish the ISL opener 2-2.And perhaps adding insult to injury, Molina left the field amid go-back chants from home fans after his team began their AFC Champions League Two journey with a frustrating goalless draw with Tajikistan rivals FC Ravshan five days ago.
Seen from this perspective, Molina and his team face the challenge of living up to expectations as they prepare to host NorthEast United again, this time in their second-round ISL fixture.
Will Bagan seek revenge against the new Durand Cup champions at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday?
Molina responded to the question at the Mohun Bagan ground on Sunday by refusing to equate the present with the past. But if the beauty of football is that it gives you a second chance to set things in order, the Bagan coach is aware that this is an opportunity waiting to be grabbed with a statement-making performance. And what better way of earning their first win of ISL-11 by burying the Durand Cup ghost.
“They have won the Durand Cup. It’s okay, congratulations to them. But that was a final, a different match and I’m focusing on the ISL for a league match. This time we’ll try to take full three points against them,” Molina pointed out.
That Bagan might come back harder at them this time around is something not escaping NorthEast coach Juan Pedro Benali’s notice.
“Playing against Mohun Bagan is always a challenge and also a motivation for us. We know that they’re eager to get over us. Our job is to make it difficult for them as much as possible,” said Benali.
Australian league’s all-time leading scorer Jamie Maclaren will be part of Bagan’s squad and may make his much-anticipated debut on Monday. But more than the upfront, it’s the backline which remains a cause for concern. Alberto Rodriguez will miss action through injury and Molina’s defence will come under scrutiny again against the Highlanders.
“We have to play better and defend better to win matches. I’ve been working every day with my players to rectify the mistakes and avoid conceding goals,” Molina said.