Sunday, Feb 28 2021 | Time 00:00 Hrs(IST)
image
SportsPosted at: Feb 27 2021 9:04PM


Clash of titans as Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan battle it out for League Winners Shield

Panaji, Feb 27 (UNI) Could it get any bigger than this? Their playoff spots may have been
secured but the final game of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) League stage will witness
the clash of the titans as Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan battle it out for their first
League Winners Shield crown at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim on Sunday.
The contest will be a battle between two of the most consistent teams in the league. And
throughout the season, the top spot has been contested by the two sides. While Mumbai
City held a comfortable lead at the summit in the first half of the season, an unexpected
slump since January saw them relinquish their position to rivals Bagan.
Now with one last game to go, it's all or nothing for the Islanders. Only a win could see
them grab the top spot alongside a spot in the AFC Champions League. Anything less
than three points, and that place will be taken by Bagan.
During the last meeting between the two sides, Bartholomew Ogbeche's goal proved to
be the difference. However, Mumbai coach Sergio Lobera said Sunday's match will be
different from the first leg.
"The first leg was another game (where) we won three points but tomorrow is a final,"
he said.
"We need to play to win and we need to manage this situation well. It's not like the
games we played before because it's not about just the three points, but to win a final."
The match will pit the best attack of the league against the best defence. Mumbai have
scored 33 goals and boast the best conversion rate. ATKMB on the other hand, have
been the meanest defense – conceding just 13 goals – alongside registering a league-high
tally of 10 clean sheets. And Lobera urged his side to stay true to their style rather than
focus on the result.
"They have a very good defense but not only (that), but also a good balance between
attack and defense," he said.
"For us, it's important to be loyal to our style of play and show passion in some
moments during the game because it's not easy to find spaces and have a lot of
chances against them."
While a point may be enough for the Mariners to finish at the top, coach Antonio
Habas stated his side won't settle for anything less than a win.
"We have to be prepared to win, not to draw," he said. "It's a historic moment (if we
qualify) but we have to play the match like another match. We play for three points.
We have to be concentrated because we play a rival that is very difficult in attack."
UNI XC-BM
Tags: #Clash of titans as Mumbai City and ATK Mohun Bagan battle it out for League Winners Shield
More News

Odisha down East Bengal in 11-goal thriller

27 Feb 2021 | 9:46 PM

Panaji, Feb 27 (UNI) With two teams, whose seasons were blighted by their failure to find
a goal, taking on each other, fans would have been forgiven for expecting a cagey clash.

see more..
Swetha Verma, Yastika Bhatia earn maiden call-ups to India's ODI squad

Swetha Verma, Yastika Bhatia earn maiden call-ups to India's ODI squad

27 Feb 2021 | 9:44 PM

Lucknow, Feb 27 (UNI) India have announced squads for their limited-overs series against
South Africa, beginning March 7 here.

see more..

Vero Nunes elected as TTFI Vice President

27 Feb 2021 | 9:42 PM

Panaji, Feb 27 (UNI) Goa’s Vero Nunes has been elected as the Vice President in Table Tennis Federation of India, at the 84th Annual General Meeting of the federation held at Panchkula, Haryana.

see more..
West Indies recall Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards for Sri Lanka T20Is

West Indies recall Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards for Sri Lanka T20Is

27 Feb 2021 | 9:33 PM

Port of Spain, Feb 27 (UNI) West Indies announced their squads for the limited-overs series
against Sri Lanka, keeping this year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup preparations in mind.

see more..

Karnataka’s Trupti comes out well in a do-or-die match, Arunachal’s Maitri slips up

27 Feb 2021 | 9:30 PM

Indore, Feb 27 (UNI) Trupti Purohit of Karnataka came good in a third-round group match to
enter the Sub-Junior Girls main draw in the UTT 82nd Cadet & Sub-Junior National Table
Tennis Championships at the Abhay Prashal here today.

see more..
image