The century-old rivalry between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant is once again set to come back when the two footballing giants meet in a Kolkata Derby on Saturday (January 11) in an Indian Super League (ISL) at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. Initially, the Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match was scheduled to be played at the iconic Salt lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Currently on top of the ISL 2024-25 table with 32 points from 14 games, Mohun Bagan are certainly the favourites to win the game. But East Bengal are no pushovers. After remaining winless in the first six games, East Bengal made a remarkable turnaround with four wins, two draws and two losses in their next eight games under new coach Oscar Bruzon.
The match was initially scheduled to take place at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium. However, after the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate stated that hosting the game would be challenging as majority of police personnel has been deployed for Ganga Sagar Mela which starts on January 10. The police said it would be difficult to provide adequate security for such a high-profile game.
During ISL, both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan practice at the training grounds inside the Salt Lake stadium. However, a couple of days prior to the game, East Bengal alleged that they are being spied on secretly ahead of the big game. As a result, the Red and Gold brigade immediately changed their training venue to Centre of Excellence in Rajarhat in Kolkata.
Mohun bagan will be missing the services of Ashique Kuruniyan, who is currently recovering from an injury and Anirudh Thapa, who is ruled out for at least 10 days. The rest of the Mohun Bagan team is fit. On the other hand, East Bengal are still in doubt over Anwar Ali's availablity after the defender got injured during their heartbreaking loss against Mumbai City FC at home.
The good news for East Bengal is that their new Venezuelan recruit Richard Celis is likely to join the side in Guwahati on Friday. Celis has been signed as a replacement for Madih Talal, who has been ruled out of the entire season sue to injury.
The Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match in ISL 2024-25 will be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday (January 11). The Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match will start at 7:30 PM IST.
Sports18 are the official broadcasters of Indian Super League in India. The Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match in ISL 2024-25 will be telecast live on all Sports18 channels.
Live streaming of Mohun Bagan vs EastBengal match in ISL 2024-25 will be available on JioCinema app and website. Jio sim card users can watch the Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal match for free as JioCinema offers free access to live sports matches.
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