Treble not revenge on Mohun Bagan’s mind

PTI

Kolkata, May 3

Mohun Bagan Super Giant will look to cap off their fairytale season with a historic treble as they face Mumbai City FC in the ISL summit clash at Salt Lake Stadium, with 62,000 partisan fans expected to raise the roof and paint the stands in green and maroon, creating an electrifying atmosphere here tomorrow.

For last four years, ISL battle is all about Mumbai and Mohun Bagan who are fighting for this Shield and Trophy. The recipe for our success has been to stay together and play together. Antonio Habas, Mohun Bagan coach

The season began with the Mariners winning the Durand Cup for the first time after 23 years. Having slipped to fifth in the table at midway stage, Antonio Habas took over from Juan Ferrando and led them to their maiden League Winners Shield.

Two weeks after they defeated Mumbai City 2-1 to win their maiden Shield, Mohun Bagan will return to the same venue with an aim to complete a rare double in the ISL and a hat-trick of titles in one season.

The last time Mohun Bagan won three titles or more was more than 23 years back when they had won the erstwhile National Football League (NFL), Federation Cup, Calcutta Premier Division League, Sikkim Gold Cup and Bordoloi Trophy.

Mumbai City have done it before in 2020-21 and the stage will be set for Mohun Bagan to follow suit. “Statistics have no relevance. We have to continue playing well and complete the circle,” the 66-year-old Habas said on the eve of the match.

Three years back, Mohun Bagan had squandered a 1-0 lead to suffer a 1-2 defeat against the same team at the ISL final held in Margao.

The target is to finish the game in “45 minutes”, said Habas, making it clear that he will go all-out in attack with Anirudh Thapa, Jason Cummings, Dimitri Petratos and Manvir Singh.

“I’m not about revenge; that’s stuff you see in movies or with the mafia,” Habas said.

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