With 114 games, 295 goals, 87,811 passes and 7307 tackles later, the Indian Super League 7 will conclude on Saturday with a heavyweight summit between Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan. The match, which counts for every single touch taken so far in what has been a thrilling Hero ISL season, will be played at Fatorda Stadium. When Mumbai City FC take on ATK Mohun Bagan at the summit, the game will not have more complex equations. The winner takes home the trophy. Its as simple as that. Some would argue that there is a better candidate for the final than these two – both Bagan and Mumbai have been head and shoulders above the entire season.
Both teams make it to the finals with a similar record, 12 wins and just 4 defeats in the league stage. Despite a typical penalty-shootout win over FC Goa in the semi-finals, it will be Mumbai who will make it to the final full of confidence.
He scored a double over Bagan in the league stage, handing him the league winner’s shield after those victories.
For Mumbai, it will be the final for the first time, but coach Sergio Lobera, and a handful of his players have been here before, when FC Goa lost to Bengaluru FC in 2018-19.
The team, however, seems to be relying on Lobera. Lobera said, “They (ATK Mohun Bagan) are a very good team with good players.
“We don’t have any specific plans, only small details about the opponent. We need to work 100 percent on our playing style,” he said.
There will be some selection dilemmas for Lobera, with Mandar Rao Desai anticipating a replacement. Goan will not go to the finals due to suspension.
In the other corner, there is Bagan, who is impressed by Antonio Habas’ nearly superhuman record in knockout games. He has already tasted pride twice and won the second straight title and the third overall has the chance to create history.
On the eve of the finals, the Spaniard focused as usual. He said, “We have to compete and our idea is to win against our opponents. My team is ready to win.”
Habas said that the previous results had no effect on the match, but his side was hung for a tough test. “We have to analyze the win of the match and control (our chances) (try to control the way they play). The opponent will play and maybe, we have difficulties.”
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The match will also decide the fate of the Golden Boot and Golden Glove winners. While Bagan’s striker Roy Krishna and Goa’s Igor Angulo are tied for the Golden Boots with 14 goals, one goal will be awarded on Saturday to the Fijian, who has played more minutes than the Spaniard.
The gold medal award race is between Mumbai’s patron Amarinder Singh and ATKMB’s Arindam Bhattacharja. Both players have 10 clean sheets in their names. At this time, Arindam is in pole position, after achieving a low target.
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