KOLKATA: Football , like life, moves in cycles. As Mohun Bagan SG and Bengaluru FC (BFC) prepare to bring down the curtain on the 2024-2025 season of Indian Super League (ISL) at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, the two finalists will also relish the opportunity of completing a cycle of their journey in their own way.
Mohun Bagan coach Jose Molina is someone who never lives in the past. But as he was sitting next to his Bengaluru counterpart Gerard Zaragoza during Friday’s news conference, it was tempting to take his mind to that September 28 evening when his team capitulated 0-3 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, their heaviest defeat of the league this term.
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Having lost the Durand Cup final earlier, the just-arrived Spanish coach was staring at uncertain times until his team turned things around in a record-breaking run and took the form of a juggernaut. Facing BFC again, the incentive is now greater for Molina and his League Shield winners at home -- a maiden ISL ‘double’ in the club’s history.
Bagan missed a similar opportunity at home a year ago having lost the final to Mumbai City. At their formidable fortress where they are yet to taste defeat in the league, it would be a mammoth upset for them to be condemned to the periphery of a title-decider again.
Zaragoza’s BFC, however, will enter the final with the battle-hardened look of a team, with hunger and determination to finish the season with a flourish. Not long ago BFC looked to be a team fearfully ambitious to give Bagan a run for their money but they lost the plot following a dreadful run in Janunary.
Zaragoza, however, reflected on a brutal, wounding result that had happened further back to make sense of the occasion.
“Last year, (it was) another April 11, we played Bagan at home and lost 0-4. Now we are here in the final and facing them. This is the difference for my team between then and now,” the BFC coach maintained on Friday.
“Now we are in the final mood,” he added with a smile.
Bagan will certainly have the edge with the support of their proverbial 12th man — the fans. It will be quite an audition for BFC at the Salt Lake Stadium. Yet, don’t expect it to be an uneven contest.
Sunil Chhetri , even at the fag end of his illustrious career, is still showing hunger for goals and his stellar form, by Zaragoza’s own admission, is giving him a good headache whether to start him or use him as substitute.
Bagan aim to take the centrestage this time. But Chhetri & Co. will be there, armed with some old tricks, to put a spanner in Bagan’s ambitions.
Mohun Bagan coach Jose Molina is someone who never lives in the past. But as he was sitting next to his Bengaluru counterpart Gerard Zaragoza during Friday’s news conference, it was tempting to take his mind to that September 28 evening when his team capitulated 0-3 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, their heaviest defeat of the league this term.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Having lost the Durand Cup final earlier, the just-arrived Spanish coach was staring at uncertain times until his team turned things around in a record-breaking run and took the form of a juggernaut. Facing BFC again, the incentive is now greater for Molina and his League Shield winners at home -- a maiden ISL ‘double’ in the club’s history.
Bagan missed a similar opportunity at home a year ago having lost the final to Mumbai City. At their formidable fortress where they are yet to taste defeat in the league, it would be a mammoth upset for them to be condemned to the periphery of a title-decider again.
Zaragoza’s BFC, however, will enter the final with the battle-hardened look of a team, with hunger and determination to finish the season with a flourish. Not long ago BFC looked to be a team fearfully ambitious to give Bagan a run for their money but they lost the plot following a dreadful run in Janunary.
Zaragoza, however, reflected on a brutal, wounding result that had happened further back to make sense of the occasion.
“Last year, (it was) another April 11, we played Bagan at home and lost 0-4. Now we are here in the final and facing them. This is the difference for my team between then and now,” the BFC coach maintained on Friday.
“Now we are in the final mood,” he added with a smile.
Bagan will certainly have the edge with the support of their proverbial 12th man — the fans. It will be quite an audition for BFC at the Salt Lake Stadium. Yet, don’t expect it to be an uneven contest.
Sunil Chhetri , even at the fag end of his illustrious career, is still showing hunger for goals and his stellar form, by Zaragoza’s own admission, is giving him a good headache whether to start him or use him as substitute.
Bagan aim to take the centrestage this time. But Chhetri & Co. will be there, armed with some old tricks, to put a spanner in Bagan’s ambitions.
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