With both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan still in title contention, Sunday's Kolkata derby has more riding on it than usual. ESPN gives you the lowdown ahead of the clash in Siliguri.
The setting
Siliguri at this time of the year appears considerably less charged up for the Kolkata derby than it did in February.
There could be a combination of reasons for this. For one, this game is a home leg for Mohun Bagan in what is an outpost with many more East Bengal supporters. Understandably then, the number of flags, banners and posters for this game on the arterial Bidhan Road - which runs alongside the Kanchenjunga Stadium - is considerably lesser than two months ago.
Siliguri is also hotter than it was in February. A lot of the shops are staying open for a much shorter span of time, and even when they do, the shopkeepers prefer staying indoors rather than sitting outside and calling out to potential customers. The Bangla new year is also just one weekend away, which explains the mushrooming of temporary shops selling an odd combination of items -- floral decorations and lottery tickets -- along the road.
Team dossiers
It has been a long season in a short burst of about three months for both teams, though AFC Cup commitments have made it more tiresome for Mohun Bagan. There are no major omissions for Bagan through injury other than midfielder Pronay Halder and left-back Subhasish Bose, both of whom played and impressed in the corresponding fixture in February.
East Bengal are well rested, with their last I-League match being a 2-1 defeat to Chennai City four weeks ago. Barring some of their international players who were tied up with their national teams till the end of March, there hasn't been any competitive football for the rest of the squad. They did play a friendly match in Kolkata against the East Bengal junior team, and the return to form and fitness of Haitian midfielder Wedson Anselme was a welcome sign for the three-time champions.
Tactics
Both teams have one common problem - their regular Under-22 starter is unavailable due to injury. While Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen has invested a lot of faith in left-back Bose, midfielder Nikhil Poojary has been one of the standout Indian players in the league for East Bengal's Trevor Morgan.
Both coaches will miss these players, not just for the value they have brought to the team, but also the fact that having to accommodate another Under-22 player now means tinkering with their most ideal combination.
For Sen, striker Azharuddin Mallick performed a creditable role alongside Darryl Duffy in the 3-0 win over Bengaluru on April 1, though it would be difficult for him to start ahead of Jeje Lalpekhlua and Balwant Singh, both of whom got goals against Dhaka Abahani in the midweek AFC Cup game. The other option for Bagan could be to keep winger Pintu Mahata in the starting XI, and then pushing Katsumi Yusa into a more central position.
East Bengal have two options in midfield that could fit in for Poojary. Abhinas Ruidas is more suited to playing wide than Mehtab Singh. A lot of Morgan's worries will be eased if Anselme can start and last 90 minutes, because he allows great tactical flexibility, especially when the team looks to attack.
How it could pan out
Two months on from their February meeting, not much has changed for either side. They are both in the running for the title, and winning this derby will not necessarily mean going on to win the league. Losing could impact their chances, especially for East Bengal, who will then have no matches left against teams that they are competing with.
Bagan will know that drawing this match might keep them one point closer to East Bengal, but winning it would put some serious pressure on Aizawl FC, irrespective of how the table-toppers fare in Bengaluru.
The biggest conundrum for Sanjoy would be about the tactical formation that he thinks will work best against East Bengal. He will have to decide between fielding just one defensive midfielder to allow an extra body in the middle of pitch, and ensuring that the threat of Wedson Anselme is quelled by keeping two holding midfielders, which might see any two of Souvik Chakraborty, Sehnaj Singh and Bikramjit Singh getting the nod.
East Bengal have the full complement of strikers at their disposal for this game. Australian Chris Payne has shown signs of gelling well with Robin Singh, and Willis Plaza was part of the Trinidad and Tobago team for World Cup qualifying in March, getting a run out in the 1-0 defeat to Mexico.
Morgan would be expected to field a team that will show more attacking intent, but that will mean a key role to play for the likes of Mehtab Hossain, Ivan Bukenya and Gurwinder Singh. Two of the most impressive performers in February, goalkeepers TP Rehenesh and Mohun Bagan's Debjit Majumder, would hope for a solid outing in a fixture where mistakes are not forgiven easily.
What they said about
Trevor Morgan: "Current form is with Mohun Bagan, but I only need to remind my team what it means to wear their shirt. They are very privileged to do what they do, and I have been disappointed with their performance in the last two games."
Sanjoy Sen: "I don't think it is fair to compare our form with East Bengal's because they have not played any matches. There's a mental battle in these derbies, which both teams will have to overcome first. They have planned according to their fixtures and so have we."
Mehtab Hossain: "If we win this league, I will continue as a player. If we lose, then this will be my last year. Over the last 7-8 years, we have come close on many occasions."