JOIN USFamiliar foes look to end title woes
It is an old rivalry rekindled. One that pits two clubs with strong claims to be the best in India over the last decade. One that Pritam Kotal, captain of ATK Mohun Bagan, calls 'a different derby'. Marked not by geography but by competition.
Turn the clock back a few years, the clash between Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan, now rechristened as ATK Mohun Bagan after merging with the ISL club, was the marquee. Saturday's Indian Super League final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa will be the latest chapter in their storied rivalry.
This fixture decided the I-League title in 2015, with Bagan scoring a late equaliser at the Sree Kanteerava stadium to win the crown. Bengaluru returned the favour two-years later, beating Bagan to win the Federation Cup. There were many more - leagues, domestic cups, and AFC Cup. All the fixtures with something on the line.
But for all the shared history, Saturday's final is one neither can afford to lose.
For Bengaluru, after two years in the wilderness, it is a long-awaited return as a contender. The Durand Cup put them back among silverware but the ISL is the crowning jewel. For Bagan, in the midst of fan discontent over the ATK merger, silverware could be a uniting force.
They split the result, a win apiece, in the league stage. Even their seasons, complete with a slump and renaissance built on defensive stability, echo with familiarity.
Bagan has banked on their defensive solidity (a record 12 cleansheets this season) to allow their attackers to shine. In Hugo Boumous, Dimitri Petratos, and Federico Gallego, Bagan have players who can decide the fate of the games single-handedly. Juan Ferrando's vision of playing flowing, attacking football has not always come to fruition but he will be pleased by his side's resilience to claw themselves into a title picture when at one point it looked unlikely.
On the other hand, Bengaluru have shown a Rocky-like ability to accept suffering and adversity to land the knockout blow. Time and again, they have found goals at key moments.
They have banked on set pieces and counters, carried by the broad shoulders of Javi Hernandez who has been outstanding in midfield this season.
Coach Simon Grayson has also found a balance, the youthfulness of Sivashakthi Narayanan, Naorem Roshan Singh, and Suresh Wangjam complimenting the experience of Roy Krishna, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, and an in-form Sunil Chhetri.
Bengaluru will need the calm heads of the latter in a clash as emotionally charged as this one. "We are not thinking about the rivalry. The toughest opponents (for us) have been Bagan and ATK. Some games we played have been among the best for neutrals to watch. But that doesn't mean much tomorrow," confirmed Chhetri on the eve of the game.
"We just want to win the final. The mantra has been to take one game at a time. So we are keeping all the noise away. We are going to go there and be a good unit."
Easier said than done, for Saturday will bring the noise.