Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC face-off in heavyweight Durand Cup semifinal clash

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], August 27 (ANI): Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant return to their home ground as they square off against former champions Bengaluru FC in the second semi-final of the 2024 Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The Mariners pipped Punjab FC 6-5 in a thrilling sudden death after both teams were locked 3-3 in regulation time in the quarter-final. The defending champions will be excited to return to their home ground for the semi-final against 2022 Durand Cup champions Bengaluru FC. On the other hand, a 95th-minute strike from Jorge Pereyra Diaz ensured Bengaluru FC clinched a narrow 1-0 victory over southern rivals Kerala Blasters to book their spot in the semi-finals, as per an Indian Super League (ISL) press release.

Speaking ahead of the match, starting from 5:30 PM, Mohun Bagan SG head coach, Jose Molina said, “Bengaluru FC are a good team. They have some really good players but I am thinking and concerned about the whole team, not any individual players. It is going to be a good game. We are going to miss Jamie Maclaren and Ashique Kuruniyan tomorrow but the rest of the team is ready to give their best. Playing in the home ground will be an advantage for us. Supporters will come in numbers to support us. You can see the formation and lineup tomorrow on the pitch.”

Mohun Bagan Super Giant had to dig deep in the quarterfinals as their complete star cast was called into action against a well-drilled and resilient Punjab FC side. Suhail Bhatt, Manvir Singh and Jason Cummings scored for the Mariners in regulation time. Jose Molina had to use all his star power, introducing Greg Stewart, Dimitrios Petratos and Apuia to ensure that they stretched the game to penalties.

Bengaluru FC had to wait till the last minute of injury time to overcome fierce rivals Kerala Blasters in their quarterfinal. They have been in fine form in the tournament, winning all their group matches to top the group scoring ten goals and conceding just twice. They have looked cohesive under Gerard Zaragoza with new signings Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Alberto Noguera combining well in the final third along with captain Sunil Chhetri.

Speaking ahead of the match, Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza said, “Mohun Bagan Super Giant is a team that has really talented players across the pitch, and we are sure that this will be a fixture that demands us to be focused. I was happy with the way we defended together as a unit and stayed compact against the Blasters. I felt we controlled that game well for most parts of the 90 minutes, and it’s something that we will need to try to replicate tomorrow.”

The two former champions will compete for a spot in the Durand Cup final against NorthEast United, with the decisive match happening on Saturday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.