Football: Five more Copa del Rey matches with upsets a possibility
The third round of the Copa del Rey in Spain continues with five matches on Sunday with the chance of some upsets as lower league sides play at home to top-flight rivals.
The Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati is set to witness the biggest football rivalry in the country unfolding on January 11 with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal battling it out in the return reg of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 here.
The match, originally scheduled to take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, had to be relocated after the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate stated that hosting the game would be a challenge due to the Ganga Sagar Mela scheduled in West Bengal from January 10 to 18.
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“Saturday blockbuster ‘Boro Match’ will now be played at Guwahati. See you, Mariners,” MBSG, who are the hosts of the match, posted on social media.
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With the derby’s fate shrouded in uncertainty, the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), that manages the ISL, opted to retain the original date while shifting the match to the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati.
This is the second time this season that the Kolkata derby has been affected due to security issues. The Durand Cup group-stage clash on August 18 — the season’s first derby — was affected because of the RG Kar protests. That match was eventually abandoned, with both teams earning a point each, though both progressed to the semifinals.
In the first leg fixture of the ISL on October 19, the Mariners had won 2-0 with goals from Jamie Maclaren and Dimitri Petratos. Following the defeat against the arch-rivals, East Bengal roped in Spanish coach Oscar Bruzon from Bashundhara FC, Dhaka as their coach.
Under Bruzon, East Bengal have shown improvement, losing just twice in 11 games and reaching the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 quarterfinals. However, with only 14 points from as many matches, they sit 11th in the 13-team standings.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan will head into the derby in red-hot form having won eight out of their last 10 matches. The Mariners have also never lost to their city rivals in the ISL and would look to keep that run going.
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