Mohun Bagan SG vs Punjab FC Durand Cup 2024 Quarter-Final Match Preview

byRitam Chakraborty -

Mohun Bagan SG vs Punjab FC Durand Cup 2024 Quarter-Final Match Preview



Football is sometimes a very cruel game. It is not just that a select few clubs have a significant advantage, it is that all the other clubs are seemingly completely hopeless; perhaps even meaningless, if you’re being particularly cynical. 

Sure, there are clubs that do a good job of mitigating the limits of their disadvantages; well they lose all of their most valuable pieces to clubs that are more powerful before they are able to win anything. No matter how well-ran your club is, Football’s power structure doesn’t allow for it to achieve material success. 

Punjab FC in recent years have mitigated the limits extremely well and reached the current top division of Indian Football, and with their extensive scouting in the foreign contingent, have lured in many underrated players from the top divisions in Europe. But unfortunately, they couldn’t keep them, just like any other club of their size. However now they embark on their next stage off their project, and will surely want to kickstart it with a silverware. 

As the dust settles after the Kolkata derby which was cancelled due to some very controversial circumstances which helped the Mariners consolidate the first spot in our group, we look forward to the Durand Cup's Quarter Final game against Punjab FC to be held in Jamshedpur. As the Punjab FC team has some completely new faces, it will be prudent to make the Mariners aware of the danger some of their new players can pose through this season.

Opposition Players to Look Forward To

FILIP MRZLJAK

The Croatian youth international has been the marquee signing of the Punjab FC side.  Primarily a defensive midfielder and a roaming #6 on the pitch, he has the capability to push forward and make runs after playing one-twos to escape his marker. 

Strong in tackles and duels too. He is 31 and in his prime as well. The closest player for reference I can think of is Stanislav Lobotka of Napoli, both not very tall but robust and hard in tackles and  duels, and are equally mobile in all parts of the field. A player to keep an eye on.

EQUI VIDAL

Indian clubs this summer had lured in quite a few Indonesian league players and Equi Vidal is one of them. The ex-Indipendiente man had been targeted by many clubs this summer as a free agent signing including the likes of the A-League outfit Brisbane Roar but will ply his trade for the Indian side. 

A traditional right winger, he can even play as a second striker and is extremely versatile. His lower centre of gravity due to his height off 168 centimeters allows him to dribble smoothly. With the mariners wingbacks overlapping always, he needs to be kept shut by the wide centrebacks.
   

IVAN NOVOSELEK

The Croatian centre back from Istiklol can be a very viable replacement of Chatziisaias who left their club this season. He may take a while to get going but with time, he will surely prove to be someone who would increase the stability of the team in the long run. His height of 188 cm may prove helpful in set pieces too as the average height of the Punjab team is below average with respect to the ISL standards. A very good signing whatsoever.
 

How to Tackle Punjab FC?



Indian Super league fans were all aware of this team’s prowess from last year itself, and they may even pose more danger when Mohun Bagan face them in such a high profile game. While Punjab FC have changed their coach, with Vergetis parting ways and another Greek coach Dilmperis joining their ranks, they will look for more stability in their team and will like to make a fast start in the league which they lacked last season.  

If Mohun Bagan make the right moves and try to make them suffer, without taking them lightly, they should prevail. With the Kolkata based outfit’s arch-rivals crashing out of the competition, our Green and Maroon Warriors will have to make sure to pass this stage onto the semis, and then the finals and should look to win this trophy.

Punjab's previous match was with Mumbai City FC which they won 3-0. Even though it was the reserves of the Indian side, the scoreline showed their dominance and they could have even scored more if not for some super saves by the Mumbai goalie. 

Even though Vidal did not start, Mrzljak and Novoselek did play a near flawless 90 minutes of football, but also did display a bad habit of giving away too many set pieces in their own half; 12 in total, around half of them in dangerous areas which Mohun Bagan can exploit with our accurate set piece takers such as Greg Stewart, Dimi Petratos and Liston Colaco.
 
The picture above shows the average Punjab FC shape when they attack the opposition final 3rd. The first fascinating part is the position of their target man Luka Majcen, he basically is “hiding” behind the centre back marking him, but unknowingly to the opponent, he is initiating a corridor of uncertainty. 

 

 
If the deep lying playmaker opts to pass forward, Luka will have 2 options, either to play by the shoulder of the last defender and make a run towards the goal, or move forward and act as a traditional target man and aid in link up. Analyzing the player, it seems that he prefers the second option, so Bagan Center Back maestro Tom Aldred will have to anticipate his runs before the ball gets delivered.

Another eye catching aspect of their tactic is that, they are mostly right-flank oriented. Mohun Bagan need to be extra careful with their overlapping wingbacks, and should ensure that there is no numerical superiority favouring the opposition in any areas. Furthermore the Punjab FC team boasts of some very solid finishers which is why it will be prudent for our defence to not let any space between the lines.

Even though Punjab FC were largely untested in their final 3rd, Mumbai's Reserves did try to build up from the back. The picture doesn’t show the full width of the pitch at that time, but it is evident that they do not employ zonal marking at all, on the contrary, they try to exhibit a very peculiar style of man marking. They overload their players just outside the penalty box, and always follow their man, but they will only press when the ball is loose, that’s why they don’t press the goalkeeper. 

In this situation, switching the flanks quickly can be a good idea and thus will be helpful in establishing numerical superiority. If Jason Cummings can hold up the ball well, long balls can be a viable option too, however these are the situations where someone like Novoselek and his aerial prowess will come into play.

Bagan should not be in a position to underestimate anyone, as it is a knockout competition. However, it is expected that the Mariners will not have to fear much around the opposition final third. Mohun Bagan attackers are much more mobile and athletic that the Punjab FC defenders while boasting a better set of playmakers.

The Situation for Mohun Bagan


After topping the Group Stage with 6 points, Mohun Bagan was unable to face Derby Rivals Emami East Bengal FC on the 18th of August. The match was cancelled in the last minute due to security concerns, which, however, didn’t deter the fans of both sides to stand united outside the stadium in protest against the heinous RG Kar incident, a rare sight to behold. 

The players showed their solidarity through social media and Captain, Subhasish Bose, joined the fans on the streets. This brings us to the quarter finals as both the teams shared a point each and Mohun Bagan SG is matched with Punjab FC, who got placed 2nd in the group stage only by goal difference.

After winning last match vs IAFFT by a 5-0 margin, Molina ball has shown a trailer to its fans with a dynamic play-style involving quick passes and timely runs to break the defence barrier of the opponent team. 

In the upcoming match, they will face a stronger team, Punjab FC, who will look to put up a challenge and not go down without a fight against the Mariners. They have won 2 matches with 3-0 clean win vs youth team of Mumbai City FC and Bodoland FC. However, they drew with Kerala Blasters with scoreline of 1-1. They will be the toughest opponent the Mariners have faced till now, who will look to win and defend the title. 

Expected Approach and Lineup of Bagan

All the players of the senior team are registered for the upcoming match on 22nd August as the Mariners gear up to face Punjab FC in Jamshedpur. After sustaining a leg injury in training Goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh is not expected to feature in the squad list. In goal, our 'flying kite' Vishal Kaith is the only viable starter.  

Coach Molina will most likely miss the services of the most-awaited Aussie striker, Jamie Maclaren, who has a mild neck injury. Aashique Karuniyan is also unlikely to make an appearance as he suffered a small injury in the last match. His recovery and comeback to the field will need to be monitored closely to ensure no further injuries harm his footballing career. 

Mohun Bagan is expected start a similar 3-4-3 lineup and might field 4 foreigners for the first time as Alberto Rodriguez and Dimitri Petratos are ready and available to play in the green and maroon colours. Options for the midfield have opened up which will readily be exploited by the coach to start fan-favourite Petratos along with Sahal, who was a key player in the previous match. 

Abhishek Suryavanshi or Anirudh Thapa can start in the midfield along with Apuia, who can fill the CDM position. Apuia has been vital in the coach’s plans who often dropped below to false centre back position to provide support of consolidated four in the defence lineup. Abhishek will also look to fall back in support whereas Dimitri and Sahal will focus to build up in the attacking third.  


This dynamic positioning of the midfield allows more players to stay in support of the attack and defence and maintain possession by high-pressing. In the defence lineup, it is likely that Tom Aldred will be partnering with Alberto Rodrigues, who will replace Deepak Tangri in the right back. Captain Subhashish Bose, will be responsible for the left back position. 

In the attack, the wings will likely remain constant with Liston Colaco on the left flank and Manvir Singh on the right. Asish Rai can come on as a substitute later in the game and provide more depth in the attack. The striker position will most likely be filled by none other than Aussie, Jason Cummings. 

After scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist, which earned him the man of the match award vs Indian Air Force FT, he will be looking to keep up the performance and take the Mariners to the semi-finals of the Durand Cup, 2024. 

As Punjab FC is a tougher opponent than IAFFT, it will be interesting to see how the 3-defence lineup of Molina-ball fares against them. Even though Punjab FC has scored 3 goals vs a young lineup of Mumbai City FC, Molina might risk this do-or-die match and test the waters of his aggressive lineup in the pre-season. 

The attack will also need to be precise in order to maintain possession and dominate the attacking half by high-pressing and find the gaps for passes to put the ball in the back of the net. This will also restrict Punjab FC from counter-attacking and relieve pressure from the defence.

Match Details

Date and Time: August 23, 2024, 4 pm onwards.

Venue: JRD Tata Complex, Jamshedpur.

Livestream / Telecast: Sony Ten 2 (TV), Jio TV, Sony Liv (OTT)

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