The Big Picture
Just three weeks ago, Mumbai City FC came to Kolkata with a chance of winning the ISL League Shield, they needed just a draw to do it. In the end, they went down 2-1 and lost the Shield to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. They are coming back to the Salt Lake Stadium, looking to win their second ISL Cup having earlier won it back in 2021, when Bipin Singh's last-gasp winner helped them beat ATK Mohun Bagan in the final.
For Mohun Bagan, this is their chance to become the first team to win back-to-back ISL Cups. Their recent form, especially at home, means they start the final as overwhelming favourites. They are chasing a treble in a season that is turning into an incredible one for the club.
Mumbai have lost twice to Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake earlier this season -- in the Durand Cup quarterfinals and the League Shield decider. Both coach Petr Kratky and captain Rahul Bheke said that they have learnt their lessons from those games -- their slow start in both the matches being a specific area they've focused on.
They went down to an early Liston Colaco goal in that Shield-deciding match, and chasing the game against this Bagan side isn't a position that any side would like to find itself in. For Bagan, they conceded a late 89th minute goal from Lallianzuala Chhangte in the same match, so they know that Mumbai are a side who go on until the final whistle. But Antonio Lopez Habas' side are no less. Sahal Abdul Samad's winner in the semifinal came in the 93rd minute, while Dimitri Petratos, especially in these big games, has proved himself to be a consistent scorer of decisive late goals.
In a game that will be decided by small margins, having players who can produce moments of brilliance is a huge weapon for either side to have.
Form Guide
Mohun Bagan Super Giant - W L W W W
The only loss in their last five games came against Odisha FC in the first leg of the semifinal, where they were stung by a Roy Krishna brace. However, Bagan are a side brimming with confidence, especially having won two of their three games against Mumbai City this season. The recent form of Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco in front of goal is also a huge boost for Bagan.
Mumbai City FC - W W L W W
Mumbai were starting at two defeats in a row heading into second-half of the stoppage time in the first leg of their semifinal against FC Goa, but that turnaround in the last six minutes turned their belief around as well. Kratky stressed on how those six minutes have really helped him to bring back the belief after the League Shield loss to Bagan.
Concerns for either side
Mohun Bagan Super Giant: how to deal with the Mumbai City wingers?
In Habas's system, Manvir and Liston have found their positions as ultra-attacking wing-backs, but Kratky recognised that their attacking threat would come at the cost of leaving space in behind which their wingers could exploit.
Chhangte and Vikram Partap Singh will run in behind into those spaces, and Mumbai are likely to have Alberto Noguera picking those passes, so Bagan will have to have a plan to counter those runs. That plan is likely to involve Deepak Tangri in the middle of the park breaking down the play and making sure the passes to the forward players aren't found. However, particularly on their left side, Bagan have arguably India's best one-on-one defender in Subhasish Bose, with their captain giving them their best option to stop Chhangte.
Mumbai City FC: Yoell van Nieff leaves a hole in the middle
Dutch midfielder Yoell van Nieff will miss the final due to a suspension, and Mohun Bagan are the last opponent that you'd want to miss your main defensive midfielder against. Petratos and Anirudh Thapa playing as two number 10s behind Jason Cummings would mean that Mumbai City would have to close that space down as effectively as they can. Kratky, though, preferred to see it as an opportunity for someone else to come in and play a role for the team.
"He's a good player, we'll miss him, but we have good players who can step up and do the job for us on the pitch," the coach said.
In addition to his duties as a defensive midfielder, van Nieff is also their most important set-piece taker, and given Mumbai City's aerial threat, that is a massive concern as well.
Predicted XIs
ATK Mohun Bagan (3-2-4-1): Vishal Kaith; Anwar Ali, Hector Yuste, Subhasish Bose; Joni Kauko, Deepak Tangri; Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Dimi Petratos, Liston Colaco; Jason Cummings.
Mumbai City FC (4-2-3-1): Phurba Lachenpa; Valpuia, Rahul Bheke, Tiri, Mehtab Singh; Thaer Krouma, Apuia; Lallianzuala Chhangte, Jayesh Rane, Vikram Partap Singh; Jorge Pereyra Diaz.
What they said:
"We have to respect Mohun Bagan's quality, but we know our quality as well. The last time, we didn't start well and that cost us. So now, we'll have to play our football right from the first minute." - Petr Kratky, Mumbai City head coach.
"We've played them three times this season, so we know their attackers and they know us too. Our only aim is to try and keep the clean sheet tomorrow." - Rahul Bheke, Mumbai City captain.
"When I came in, the first thing I told the players was that we could win the shield and the cup if we showed the ambition and desire to win." - Antonio Lopez Habas, Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach.
"It's not just 11 players on the ground, we'll take the support of the lakhs of Mariners with us on to the field in the final." - Subhasish Bose, Mohun Bagan Super Giant captain.
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan also known as Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
Kickoff: 7:30pm IST.