Indian Super League giant, ATK Mohun Bagan has made a fine debut in the 2020-21 Indian Super League, as it is placed on the top of the table. While it has sealed its berth in the playoffs, it would now fight for staying put on the top spot, as it eyes the Asian Champions League berth.
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Meanwhile, it would take on arch-rival SC East Bengal in the derby on Friday. Although the derby is somewhat redundant at this stage, with SCEB already out of playoffs contention, judging by the fierce historic rivalry between the two, it would be a thriller.
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Meanwhile, club striker, Roy Krishna has asserted that any match at this stage is like playing the final. “There is no complacency in me for being at the top of the league. For us, all the matches, including the derby, are like the final. I’m going to play the Derby on Friday like a final match. And, we have to win that match. We have to remember that we are going to play against a strong team like SC East Bengal. That is why we will play with the best preparation,” he told ATKMB.“SC East Bengal is much stronger now than the team defeated by us in the first phase. Like other teams, they also have changed. Their strength has increased after taking in few new footballers in January. Especially in the last few matches, they played quite well. East Bengal’s defence has blocked many definite goals in the last few matches. Breaking East Bengal’s defence and scoring a goal is, therefore, a challenge for us. We have to overcome that barrier for the Green-Maroon supporters and to stay on the top,” he added.
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Also, fellow striker, Marcelinho Pereira, who would be playing the derby for the first time in his career, is looking forward to experience the emotions. “Even though I didn’t play the Kolkata Derby, I still know the emotions and expectations of the fans for this match. While watching this match on television, I saw how colourful and inspiring the gallery is. I have played some derbies locally in different countries. Many of which are country-wise everlasting rivals. For example, I played
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Furthermore, club defender, Carl McHugh has warned that despite SCEB being placed ninth, it has improved its gameplay in the past few games and won’t be easy to stop. “East Bengal is now much stronger than last time. It’s tough to defeat them. But, we are also in good form. The challenge is to maintain the continuity of victory. East Bengal’s attacking side is strong enough this time. We have to keep our target intact keeping the defence strong. But, our attacking third is also strong enough,” he concluded.
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